It means a lot to Tony McGee when he sees a National Hurricane Center advisory on Hurricane Ian flash across a screen with an attribution to the source of the data: WeatherFlow.
That shows McGee, a meteorologist for WeatherFlow-Tempest Inc., the work he and his colleagues are doing has an impact.
McGee is one of five employees at the Scotts Valley, California-based weather tech company — which operates 28,000 square feet of space in Daytona Beach — tracking the approach of Hurricane Ian.
The National Hurricane Center is one of many organizations, along with the National Weather Service, that use WeatherFlow data to monitor wind speeds during major storms, including the approaching hurricane, McGee told Orlando Inno.
WeatherFlow’s data and artificial intelligence-powered modeling provides customers with accurate weather information. One of its flagship products is the Tempest Weather System, a home system that provides weather data to a user’s mobile app. It manufactures its devices in Daytona Beach.
Meanwhile, WeatherFlow meteorologists spread across the country are in hurricane monitoring mode, said McGee, who is based in Hampton Roads, Virginia. WeatherFlow’s rugged weather stations in coastal areas across the country are designed to withstand the effects of major storms like Hurricane Ian.
Through a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration program, WeatherFlow and other firms provide data around-the-clock to public weather organizations. WeatherFlow’s weather stations will come in handy once high winds begin to hit the Florida coastline, McGee said.
In addition, the company has private sector clients who pay for access to the data. The insurance industry is particularly interested in wind speed data, which helps insurers determine what damages were caused by winds as opposed to floods, McGee added.
As of Tuesday morning, the WeatherFlow team was tracking wind gusts in the Florida Keys, but that was expected to ramp up later in the day. The meteorology team will monitor the hurricane as it makes landfall this week, with plans to provide clients with a report on wind conditions six hours after landfall, McGee said. “We’re meteorologists at heart, and would watch it whether or not we get paid.”
Even when a hurricane isn’t barreling toward the U.S., WeatherFlow is a busy company. The 2-year-old firm in April closed a $2.5 million fundraising campaign on equity crowdfunding site Start Engine, and the company grew its revenue 140% in 2020, from $2.7 million to $6.5 million.
WeatherFlow also won Orlando Inno's inaugural Inno Madness startup competition in March.
Of course, Hurricane Ian already has caused a string of closures, cancellations and preparations across Central Florida. Learn about them here and here.
Still, many businesses continue to operate. As of Tuesday morning, the region’s theme parks — including top local employer Walt Disney World Resort — had yet to close their gates.
"Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions as we prepare to make necessary adjustments based on the latest information from the National Weather Service,” Disney said on its website.
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