3 hurricane myths Floridians should know about this season
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While parts of Florida are still reeling from Hurricane Ian, the season for big storms is back.
Driving the news: Atlantic hurricane season began Thursday. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and other city and state officials encouraged residents this week to prepare by signing up for emergency alerts and ordering a generator.
- Statewide sales tax is waived through June 9 on items such as batteries, self-powered radios, generators, soaps and pet supplies. A second sales tax holiday runs from Aug. 26 to Sept. 8.
Why it matters: Florida is more often affected by hurricanes than other parts of the U.S.
- Last year, Ian threatened to devastate the Tampa Bay area before shifting toward the state's southwestern coast — where it left streets flooded, buildings destroyed and people homeless.
- Preparing now can save you time, money and loads of aggravation among anxious crowds when a storm hits.
State of play: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting a range of 12 to 17 named storms — five to nine of which could become hurricanes. One to four could become a major hurricane.
We've shared tips on how to prepare for a hurricane before. So, we asked Axios senior climate reporter Andrew Freedman to debunk three hurricane misconceptions Floridians should avoid as they prepare for the season:
- The National Hurricane Center's cone of uncertainty shows the probable track of the center of the storm — not the extent of its reach. Focusing on the center of the cone downplays the impact of a storm.
- Some people think the intensity of a storm's winds is the main threat. In reality, water is a bigger killer, specifically both coastal storm surge and inland flooding from heavy rains.
- The category of a storm does not indicate the scale of danger you face — the Saffir-Simpson Scale only measures maximum sustained wind speeds. It does not account for storm surge, rainfall or even the area of impact.
Plus: More storms in recent years have been rapidly intensifying, in some cases right through landfall.
- This has caused them to leap categories in 24 hours or less, making it more important than ever to stay on top of forecasts and act on any evacuation orders and advisories.