Assessment of a Parametric Hurricane Surface Wind Model for Tropical Cyclones in the Gulf of Mexico

Tropical cyclones, which generate storm surges, wind waves, and flooding at landfall, are a major threat to human life and property in coastal regions throughout the world. The Unit‐ ed States, the northern Gulf of Mexico, and in particular the Louisiana Gulf coast, are very susceptible to the impacts of frequent tropical storms and hurricanes due to its tropical/ subtropical location and unique bathymetric, geometric, and landscape features. Severe coastal flooding, enormous property damage, and loss of life are ubiquitously associated with tropical cyclone landfalls, and this devastation was no more evident than during Hur‐ ricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, and Gustav and Ike in 2008. Over 1800 people lost their lives and several major coastal populations were crippled for months after the hurricanes passed. It is critically important to make timely and accurate forecasts of hurricane winds, surge, and waves. The prediction of hurricane surface winds is of specific importance be‐ cause it directly forces storm surge and wave models, and controls their forecast accuracy.