WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Monday marked the first day of hurricane season, and even though experts say it is expected to be below to near normal, they stress the time for Floridians to start preparing is now.
The National Hurricane Center in West Miami-Dade is where experts are closely monitoring the tropics.
As the staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration do their job, it’s recommended to be prepared ahead of time and not wait until a storm is in the forecast to stock up.
Residents should have essentials like food, water, medications and other supplies ready to go.
It is also important be aware as to whether they live in an evacuation zone and have a plan in place for them and their families.
“I don’t think people really realize that a lot of the evacuation zones that exist along the coast are primarily designed based on storm surge risk, and so, when we provide a storm surge forecast, it’s really to kind of communicate that risk,” said Cody Fritz, Storm Surge Unit Lead at NOAA.
NOAA has named around eight to 14 possible storms this season, with one to six hurricanes.
“The forecast for this hurricane season calls for a below normal number of storms. However, it is not a landfall forecast,” said meteorologist Robert Molleda. “In other words, we don’t know where these storms are going to form or where they’re going to hit during the season; therefore, in South Florida, we need to be ready just like any other year.”
Forecasters have stressed that all it takes is one storm to make landfall to make it a memorable season.
“We have to remember it only takes one storm to hit us for it to be a bad hurricane season,” said Daniel Brown, Branch Chief of Hurricane Specialist Unit at NOAA. “You think of 1992, that was the year we had Hurricane Andrew; we only had seven named storms, four hurricanes and one major that year.”
Hurricane Andrew devastated South Florida, so it’s important be prepared and informed.
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