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NC State researchers predict ‘active’ hurricane season

By WSOCTV.com News Staff

Hurricane Irma vs. Hurricane Andrew FILE- This Aug. 24, 1992 file image provided by NOAA shows a NOAA GOES-7 thermal infrared geostationary satellite image of Hurricane Andrew approaching landfall south of Miami. For an entire generation in South Florida, Hurricane Andrew was the monster storm that reshaped a region. Irma is likely to blow that out of the water. Bigger and with a 90-degree different path of potential destruction, Irma is forecast to hit lots more people and buildings than 1992’s Andrew, said experts, including veterans of Andrew.

By WSOCTV.com News Staff

While the focus may be on the coronavirus, the start of the hurricane season is a little over a month away and researchers say this year could be tough.

Researchers at North Carolina State University are saying it will be an active season, predicting between 18 and 22 storms. This is nearly double the average in a season.

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They think eight to 11 may be strong enough to become hurricanes with three becoming “major” hurricanes.

A hurricane is not what we need during the pandemic, but last month we reported the National Weather Service said it is ready and has a robust continuity of operations plans in place.

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It said local forecast officers can step in if something were to happen at one regional office and the Storm Prediction Center could actually step in for the National Hurricane Center.

South Carolina officials are still working on how to handle thousands of evacuees while also social distancing if a storm hits.

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They say they don’t have one right now, but the director of the state emergency management division said the state isn’t usually impacted until later in the season.

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