On the eve of atlantic hurricane season, federal officials told reporters Thursday forecasters have issued a record-high forecast for tropical activity.
The National Weather Service said it expects between 17 and 25 named storms, 8-13 hurricanes, and 4-7 major hurricanes. But weather service Director Ken Graham said, "It only takes one storm to make landfall, or even one to get close to you, to make a busy season."
And Graham stressed it's important to understand the impacts storms can have, often far from the point of landfall, and regardless of the intensity of the winds. Graham said 90% of fatalities are caused by water and more than half of those involve fresh water flooding due to heavy rain. He also urged people to stay out of the ocean during a storm event, noting more people die from rip currents and surf than from hurricane winds or storm surge.
Graham also said, this year's hurricane forecast is, "a reason to be concerned, of course, but not alarmed." The key, he and other officials said, is to prepare now for what to do if threatening weather develops.
