The second regional testbed in the NOAA-HMT project will be focused on the Tar-Neuse river basins in North Carolina, beginning in fiscal year 2010. The Southeastern U. S. is faced with serious flooding when tropical storms make landfall, a convective season, and can suffer from complex winter season precipitation involving rain, snow, and freezing rain. The region encompasses a variety of geographic conditions, extending from coastal estuaries to the summit of the Appalachian Mountains.
HMT-Southeast will leverage existing programs in the region, including NOAA's Sea Grant program (CI-Flow) and the NOAA in the Carolinas program, and will coordinate closely with the development of CERIS (the Coastal Estuary River Information System).