| Summary/abstract: | - The hurricane warning cycle for CAMILLE began after aerial reconnaissance on August 14. Thereafter, the developing storm was kept under virtually continuous surveillance by aerial reconnaissance, environmental satellites, and, as it neared land, coastal weather radars, tide gages, and human observers. CAMILLE's point of arrival along the coast was forecast about 15 hours before the storm struck, permitting a massive evacuation of the hurricane-conscious population of that area. This 15-hour warning, taken with the high level of individual and community preparedness for such emergencies, saved an estimated 50,000 lives. The purpose of the ESSA survey team reporting here was to evaluate the performance of the hurricane warning service and related activities during the CAMILLE emergency. To do this, the team focused on the actual warning and reconnaissance activities, and on the responses of municipal and emergency officials in the stricken area. The team's general
conclusions were that: -The warning system performed in an outstanding manner. -The accuracy of hurricane prediction and warnings compares favorably with the present state of meteorological science and our present understanding of hurricanes. -The strong cooperation between Federal, State, and local authorities, the news media, and the public, together with community preparedness, accounted in large part for the saving of lives along the Gulf coast.
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