Hurricane Preparedness Week, day 7: What you should know to take action before a storm
The 2025 hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. The National Hurricane Center will begin issuing daily tropical outlooks later this week, on May 15, and AccuWeather issued its first advisory warning a tropical storm has a low chance of developing later this month.
➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location
To raise awareness about the dangers posed by hurricanes and tropical storms and encourage people to prepare early for storms, the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service established May 4-10 as Hurricane Preparedness Week.
The week covered various topics each day, providing valuable information for those new to hurricanes and good reminders to seasoned Florida residents.
Early predictions are for a "volatile hurricane" season in 2025, with above-normal activity.
Colorado State University forecasters ranked Florida No. 1 among all 50 states when it comes to the probability of a named storm coming within 50 miles, at 92%.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
The National Hurricane Center will begin issuing tropical outlooks on May 15, highlighting any tropical disturbances showing potential for development.
Hurricane Preparedness Week 2025 is scheduled for May 4-10, focusing on a different topic each day. Here's the lineup:
May 4: Know your risk: Wind and water
May 5: Prepare before hurricane season
Tuesday, May 6: Understand forecast information
May 7: Get moving when a storm threatens
May 8: Stay protected during storms
May 9: Use caution after storms
Saturday, May 10: Take action today
The topic on the final day of Hurricane Preparedness Week 2025 is "Take Action Now." NOAA rounded up the week by reminding residents they should:
Determine your risk from water and wind.
Begin preparing now, before a storm.
Learn how to understand hurricane forecasts and alerts.
Learn what to do before, during and after a storm.
Here's our roundup of some of the key things to know from the week.
➤ New to hurricanes? Everything to know about NOAA tips from Hurricane Preparedness Week
Determine now if you live in a storm surge evacuation zone. Here's how to find your zone:
Go to the Florida Department of Emergency Management's Know Your Zone website
In the top left corner, enter your address
In the left column you'll see your evacuation zone
Typically, Zone A is the most vulnerable and most likely to be evacuated first. Zone F is most likely to be evacuated last.
If you live in a flood-prone area, you're especially vulnerable to hurricane impacts.
However, remember that even it you don't live in a flood-prone area, you're not necessarily safe since extreme rain can flood even those areas.
Here's how to find out now the flood risk for your area so you can plan accordingly.
Go to FEMA's Flood Risk website, floodsmart.gov/flood-risk
Scroll down and enter your zip code and click on Discover Your Risk
Look at the map to see if your risk is low, moderate or high
You can also enter your address for a more precise view of your risk
You can also check NOAA's Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper at coast.noaa.gov. Zoom in on the map to see a coastal flood hazard composite showing zones 1 to 11.
Develop an evacuation plan, get your home and yard ready now, check your insurance policy, make sure you have shutters, and start assembling disaster supplies while shelves are fully stocked.
Here are a few sites offering disaster supply checklists:
AccuWeather
Federal Alliance for Safe Homes
FEMA
NWS
Red Cross
Generally, "a watch means impacts are possible; a warning means impacts are expected or happening," NOAA said. "Different hazards and alerts require different responses."
Here's what the various watches and warnings associated with tropical cyclones from the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service mean and what you should do when each is issued.
"Rely on official forecasts and well-established media partners," NOAA said.
The USA Today Network-Florida has been a trusted source for tropical news, with daily stories on the latest conditions in the tropics beginning May 15.
When a storm looks as if it may be heading our way, coverage ramps up even more to provide you with everything you need to know in your area to make important decisions for you and your family.
We pull together information not only from NOAA and the National Hurricane Center, but also our partners with USA Today Network and local Florida sites. We also gather Florida-specific information from AccuWeather experts and Dr. Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist with WeatherTiger, for what Florida residents need to know.
We also encourage you to sign up to receive text alerts specific to your area both before and after a storm hits. We also have people available to answer storm-related questions you may have. NOAA also recommended residents have the Wireless Emergency Alerts enabled on their phones to receive warnings.
➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location
On an iPhone, go to:
Settings
Notifications
Government Alerts (on the bottom of the screen)
Turn on the desired alert
On an Android, go to:
Settings
Notifications
Wireless emergency alerts (which may be under advanced settings or safety and emergency)
Turn on the desired alert
When the National Hurricane Center posts its map predicting where a storm will go, there's a tendency to focus on that cone. However, cone tells you only where the center of the storm is projected to be at specific intervals.
What it does not do is tell you where the impacts from the storm could be felt.
"Impacts can be felt far from the storm's center, even well inland and outside the forecast cone," NOAA said.
The forecast cone means "the storm's center will probably travel somewhere within the cone's boundaries.
"Historically, the storm's center has remained within the forecasted cone roughly two-thirds of the time."
Important reminder: "The cone does NOT represent the size of the storm in any way," NOAA emphasized.
The National Hurricane Center will release its predictions for the 2025 hurricane season later this month. Early forecasts released so far predict:
: Predicting 2025 could be a year with "volatile hurricanes" and warns storms could rapidly intensify shortly before making landfall.
Named storms: 13 to 18
Hurricanes: 7-10
Major hurricanes: 3-5
Direct U.S. impacts: 3-6
Colorado State University: Season will be above normal. Florida ranked No. 1 when it came to the probability of a named storm coming within 50 miles, at 92%.
17 named storms
9 hurricanes
4 major hurricanes
Dr. Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist with WeatherTiger, said 2025 has a "50-50 shot of landing in the ranges of":
16-21 tropical storms
7-9 hurricanes
3-4 major hurricanes
Here are the names for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, along with how to pronounce them:
Andrea: AN-dree-uh
Barry: BAIR-ree
Chantal: shahn-TAHL
Dexter: DEHK-ster
Erin: AIR-rin
Fernand: fair-NAHN
Gabrielle: ga-bree-ELL
Humberto: oom-BAIR-toh
Imelda: ee-MEHL-dah
Jerry: JEHR-ee
Karen: KAIR-ren
Lorenzo: loh-REN-zoh
Melissa: meh-LIH-suh
Nestor: NES-tor
Olga: OAL-guh
Pablo: PAHB-lo
Rebekah: reh-BEH-kuh
Sebastien: se-BAS-tee-en
Tanya: TAHN-yuh
Van: van
Wendy: WEN-dee
We will continue to update our tropical weather coverage as conditions warrant and daily beginning May 15. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And subscribe here.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Hurricane Preparedness Week, day 7: Take action now, before storm
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