# Air-deployed wave buoys for hurricane forecast improvements

## Team Members

### **APL - UW**
- Jim Thomson
- Jacob Davis

### **Sofar Ocean**
- Pieter Smit
- Isabel Houghton
- Tim Janssen

### **NOAA PSL**
- Elizabeth Thompson
- Chris Fairall

### **U. Colorado / NOAA PSL**
- Gijs de Boer

## Team Objectives

**Provide real-time observations of hurricane waves and wave forcing that can be ingested by modeling groups through an API to improve forecasts and validate hindcasts. Specifically:**

- Deploy arrays of Spotter wave buoys from C-130 aircraft 12-48 hours ahead of hurricanes.
- Deploy arrays of Air-Deployable Micro Buoys (ADMB) and micro-SWIFT buoys from aircraft during hurricanes, as part of existing operations.
- Use Sofar’s API to immediately deliver wave buoy data to operational centers.
- Describe the wave field surrounding hurricanes.
- Compare buoy observations to NOAA WP3D aircraft estimates (WSRA, SFMR).
- Optimize buoy array design for assimilation.

## Newest Updates

### December 10, 2025
[**NHCI Presentation Citations**](https://nopphurricane.sofarocean.com/updates/presentation-citations)
A full repository of presentations by NHCI team members.

### November 12, 2024
[**StoryMap: Hurricane coastal impacts**](https://nopphurricane.sofarocean.com/updates/storymap-hurricane-coastal-impacts)
A StoryMap describing key aspects of the NHCI project and how they contribute to advancing scientists' ability to predict storm impacts.

### October 21, 2024
[**Wave buoy arrays deployed for Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton**](https://nopphurricane.sofarocean.com/updates/wave-buoy-arrays-deployed-hurricane-helene-milton)
The NOPP Hurricane Coastal Impacts 3A teams successfully deployed over 60 wave buoys in rapid response to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.