Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Who is eligible to have HURREVAC?

According to guidelines from FEMA and USACE, program access is restricted to the government emergency management community. If you work for a private corporation with hurricane threat assessment needs, an Internet search for "Hurricane Tracking Software" will offer comparable software packages available from commercial vendors.

What does HURREVAC cost and how do I get it?

HURREVAC is funded by the federal government and the software is distributed free-of-charge to eligible users. Visit the registration page to get started. Once registered, you will receive e-mailed instructions detailing how to download and install the program from the web.

I think I may be registered under an old e-mail address and I'm concerned that future HURREVAC announcements will not reach me. What should I do?

Use this page to verify whether or not your current e-mail address is in our database. If if is not, then you should simply reregister as if a new user.

May I share my HURREVAC access(e-mailed installation instructions) with other emergency management colleagues that want the program?

In general, it's recommended that each person running HURREVAC maintain their own registration. The reason for this is so that you don't miss e-mailed notices of important changes, new versions, etc. However, if you are a network administrator who will keep HURREVAC up to date on many of your agency's machines, it's only necessary for you and a few key users in your agency to register.

I have registered and installed HURREVAC on my work computer. May I also put the program on a home computer and/or laptop for use when I am away from the office?

Absolutely...There are no restrictions on the numbers or types of computers where registered users may have HURREVAC installed.

Ok, I have installed HURREVAC on my computer. What do I need to do next to customize the program for my local community?

You should check for available "plug-ins" of local data to install. These plug-ins vary from state to state, but typically include Hurricane Evacuation Study times and storm surge zone maps for coastal areas, plus flood plain maps for inland river gages. Visit the Hurrevac2000 Tech Notes and Hurrevac2010 Tech Notes pages for further instructions on the plug-ins.

Why are there two versions of HURREVAC?

Hurrevac2010 is the next generation of a long-running HURREVAC program that started with state-specific DOS programs and evolved into HurWin95 and then Hurrevac2000. Hurrevac2010 contains significant enhancements and improvements over its predecessor and will eventually be the lone platform for the program. However, while you (the users) are getting familiar with the new interface and we (the developers) are polishing its functionality, we feel it's prudent to continue supporting Hurrevac2000 as well.

For the 2010 hurricane season, you should install and run both programs...but consider Hurrevac2000 the definitive source for information if your community is under threat from a storm.

I'm new to HURRVAC. Where do I start to learn the ropes of this program?

Your HURREVAC software has an extensive built-in Help system. If you are new to the program, we suggest starting in the Help system with the 'Using HURREVAC' tour and/or downloading a print-friendly user guide. This support site also offers tutorials and a schedule of live training opportunities.

Hurrevac2010-Specific Questions

How does Hurrevac2010 differ from Hurrevac2000?

Experienced Hurrevac2000 users will see in Hurrevac2010 a modernized user interface and more streamlined connections to live forecast information. Our task for this first release was to port the current HURREVAC capabilities over to the new Hurrevac2010 platform and set a stage for new functions in later releases. More details are located here.

Are there any special hardware or software requirements for computers to run Hurrevac2010?

The recommended setup is a PC running Windows XP (or later Window OS) with a screen resolution of at least 1024x768. No additional software is required.

How do I get current storm information into Hurrevac2010?

The program has built-in http polling to monitor the servers at hurrevac.com for any storm activity and download new data when available. These automatic updates can be configured to occur as often as every 5 minutes or turned off if you prefer to update manually. It also intelligently retrieves older data (such as ended storm tracks and old text advisories) when ever these items are selected for display in the program.

Hurrevac2000-Specific Questions

How do I get current storm information into Hurrevac2000?

Hurrevac2000 uses a built-in FTP system to retrieve new data from the servers at hurrevac.com. You can left-click the DATA button on the toolbar to retrieve live data or right-click to browse the FTP servers for older data.

What do I do if I am behind a "firewall" or proxy server and get no response when I use the Internet Download option?

We have provided a special Technical Note page to discuss this issue in more detail.