New York City, national emergency agencies prepare for another active hurricane season
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- It's National Hurricane Preparedness Week and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, known as NOAA, and New York City's Emergency Management Agency are busy getting ready for another active season.
"We're here today because hurricane season begins on June first," said Zachary Iscol, Commissioner of NYCEM. "We're only a couple of weeks away."
The nation's emergency preparedness agencies are wasting no time. They are urging people to prepare now, for what could come. There is precedent.
"10 of the top 15 busiest seasons on record since 1851 in terms of named storms have occurred since the year 2000," NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad said.
Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Ida in 2021, left a huge impact, not only with the damage they caused and the toll they inflicted, but in changing the approach to storm preparedness.
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Now nothing is taken for granted.
"We must prepare for the sheer power and scale of these storms as our nation is forced to address the complexity of impacts by these dangerous weather, water and climate events," Spinrad said.
NOAA has enhanced the technology it uses for forecasting. It now operates 16 earth observing satellites -- and then there are the hurricane hunters.
"The essential data that we get from these aircrafts help improve our track and intensity forecast and directly influence the decisions that people are making," Spinrad said.
One of the tools at New Yorkers' disposal is "Know Your Zone," an online tool that lets you find your flood zone and help you develop an emergency plan.
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