The National Hurricane Center exists to save lives, mitigate property loss, and improve economic efficiency by issuing the best watches, warnings, forecasts, and analyses of hazardous tropical weather and by increasing understanding of these hazards. National hurricane forecasting began in 1943, and NHC was established shortly thereafter, in 1958.

Current Publications

Predecessor Organization

The Tropical Prediction Center was formerly a component of NCEP in which NHC was nested. TPC no longer exists, and NHC is now a component center of NCEP. TPC had the same mission as NHC, and included two other subsidiary organizations, the Technical Support Branch (TSB), and the Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (TAFB). At the time of TPC, NHC's purview was seasonal, maintaining a watch on tropical cyclones from 15 May in the eastern Pacific and 1 June in the Atlantic through November 30. During the off season, NHC conducted an extensive outreach and education program, training U.S. emergency managers and representatives from many other countries affected by tropical cyclones.

Historical Publications