No one could have foreseen how traumatic Hurricane Helene would be for so many people in so many states, but it underscores precisely why National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan stresses individual preparation for hurricane season, which begins June 1.
The biggest thing people need to know is their own risk – from storm surge, wind, heavy rainfall, flooding, tornadoes and rip currents – regardless of how far they live from where a tropical storm or hurricane makes landfall, Brennan says. Helene and its aftermath, which killed 248 and caused almost $80 billion in damage, clearly demonstrated how destruction can occur miles inland or far from landfall.
“Getting ready for hurricane season is all about knowing that risk and starting the hurricane season ready for what that risk might be and how it might present itself to you,” Brennan said in a chat with USA TODAY about what people need to know and do as the season begins.
If he could speak with each one of the more than 200 million people who face hurricane risks in the United States, he would remind them to stay focused on:
Here are eight things Brennan wants you to remember:
