North Carolina - Strongest storms yet to come this hurricane season

August 14, 2010
The Star

Three others came and went with relative silence. Will Danielle be this year's loudmouth everyone talks about?

Hurricane season is nearing full-force and forecasters expect a busy, active period. But so far, hurricanes Alex, Bonnie and Colin haven't lived up to the hype.
National Weather Service meteorologist John Tomko said the worst is still to come, with late August to early October being the strongest time for stormy chances. No hurricane has threatened North Carolina thus far in 2010.

Next up on the named list -- though not yet on a radar screen -- is Danielle, a name of Hebrew and French origin. Will she fight or fizzle?
"It's hard to judge it this early," Tomko said Friday.
What's in a name?

In 1953, the National Hurricane Center began identifying Atlantic tropical storms by name. The original titles featured only women's names but in 1979, men's names were introduced. Six lists are used in rotation.
Lists are now maintained and updated by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization.

Only if a storm proves deadly or costly does the future use of its name change.
Validity is determined at an annual meeting by the WMO committee, and offending names are sometimes stricken from the list and another name is selected to replace it.

Exceptions do occur. Before 1979, when the first permanent six-year storm name list began, some storm names were simply not used anymore.
Under current guidelines, more than 70 hurricane names are retired -- "Katrina" is among that list.

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS
A hurricane looms on the horizon. Know the facts and prepare before it's too late.

  • Discuss the type of hazards that could affect your family. Know your home's vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind.
  • Locate a safe room or the safest areas in your home for each hurricane hazard. In certain circumstances the safest areas may not be your home, but within your community.
  • Determine escape routes from your home and places to meet. These should be measured in tens of miles rather than hundreds of miles.
  • Have an out-of-state friend as a family contact, so all your family members have a single point of contact.
  • Make a plan now for what to do with your pets if your home needs to be evacuated.
  • Post emergency telephone numbers by your phones and make sure your children know how and when to call 911.
  • Check your insurance coverage --flood damage is not usually covered by homeowners insurance.
  • Stock non-perishable emergency supplies and a disaster supply kit.
  • Use a NOAA weather radio. Remember to replace its battery every 6 months, as you do with your smoke detectors.
  • Take first-aid, CPR and disaster preparedness classes.

Source: National Hurricane Center