NORTH MIAMI, FLA. (WSVN) - One day away from the start of the hurricane season, 7News got an inside look at how forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are preparing.
Officials, forecasters and scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spoke with reporters from the NHC building in West Miami-Dade, on Friday morning, to tell residents what to expect this year.
Experts said this season is expected to be average, with 12 possible named storms. They said six of these storms could potentially form into hurricanes, and three of the six possible hurricanes are expected to be major.
Experts advised South Floridians to still be on guard and ready for any changes.
“You gotta have a plan. You gotta be ready,” said NHC Director Ken Graham.
“You have to know the risk to your home, to your community, and know what actions to take,” said Dr. Dan Kaniewski with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Storm trackers reminded South Florida residents that it’s never too early to get ready, but it can be too late.
“It’s about being ready for the season. We can’t stop the calendar, but what we can do is make sure everybody is ready,” said Graham.
Thanks to state lawmakers, hurricane supplies will be sales-tax exempt through June 6.
“Products that are hurricane-related products to prepare and not pay taxes,” said Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo.
Those products include:
- flashlights under $20
- gas tanks under $25
- batteries under $30
- radios under $50
Although technology used to track storms is improving every year, hurricanes can change in an instant.
“We always hear, ‘Have a plan,’ but what are you planning for?” said Graham. “Know that risk. If you’re on the actual beach, you have to prepare for that storm surge and the rainfall and the tornadoes. This isn’t just a hurricane problem on the coast, it’s inland as well, if you’re near a river or if you’re in a low-lying area. The heavy rainfall has been significant in the last three years of some of these events.”
With each season, experts said, predictions for future forecasts improves with upgrades in technology, along with detailed data from years’ worth of research.
“NOAA deploys a lot of satellites. We collect that data, we pull that in and ingest it into the models to improve the forecast skill,” said Dr. Neil Jacobs with NOAA. “We’ve been making many, many significant improvements.”
But for all those weather models, equipment and storm trackers at work, experts said hurricanes have a habit of changing course with little notice.
Graham said, despite the prediction that this season is expected to be average, it only takes one storm to change the outlook.
“There’s only been four Category 5 hurricanes to hit this country. Every single one of them was a tropical storm three days prior,” he said, “so you’ve got to think about how quickly this can happen. That’s why the preparedness is so important.”
Graham advises Floridians to be prepared early and know your risks before writing a plan.
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