ATLANTA – State and local emergency officials are preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best, as national weather experts are forecasting an above-normal hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting between 12-15 named tropical storms, including 7-9 hurricanes, as many as five of which could be major storms with winds in excess of 111 mph. The hurricane season begins June 1 and continues through November 30. NOAA forecasters say the above-normal numbers reflect a 10-year pattern of increased tropical activity which is expected to continue, and note that since 1995 all but two seasons have seen above normal activity.

Despite predictions for an active season, however, the impact on Georgia is unclear, because there is no correlation between the number of tropical weather events and the likelihood of landfall, and there is no reliable way to predict the location of landfall. The last decade of above-normal activity, for example, had relatively little impact on Georgia until last year when the state was battered by Hurricanes Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne.

With that uncertainty, the Georgia Office of Homeland Security – Georgia Emergency Management Agency (OHS-GEMA) recommends that Georgians fine-tune their family disaster plans, and prepare for what they would do in the event a hurricane or tropical storm strikes.

“Georgia is especially vulnerable to tropical weather events, regardless of how many are predicted,” said OHS-GEMA Director Mike Sherberger. “Preparedness and planning can help to save lives.”

Families should select an evacuation destination and make reunification plans as a part of their family disaster plan. OHS-GEMA also recommends that every home and business should have a battery-power NOAA weather radio that will activate when a severe weather alert is issued.

Georgia is vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico with the storms potentially impacting the entire state, not just the coastal areas. Hurricanes and tropical storms can spawn thunderstorms and tornadoes, heavy rains, and high winds hundreds of miles inland.

For additional information on hurricane preparedness, visit the OHS-GEMA Web site at www.ohs.state.ga.us. In addition, the National Hurricane Center, the American Red Cross and the Weather Channel also provide information on hurricane preparedness at the following links: www.nhc.noaa.gov, www.redcross.org and www.weather.com.

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Post Office Box 18055 - Atlanta, Georgia 30316-0055
Phone (404) 635-7000 or toll-free in Georgia 1-800-TRY-GEMA - Fax (404)635-7205
www.ohs.state.ga.us