JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hurricane season officially began Wednesday, and federal and state leaders are reminding everyone that now is the time to get ready for a storm.
Those from the National Hurricane Center, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the White House came together to discuss their plans on preparation.
One of the big themes during Wednesday’s news conference was preparation.
NHC Director Ken Graham kicked off the conference with a deep dive into improved storm surge forecasts since 2017 and how those have helped save lives.
He also urged Floridians not to be complacent when it comes to hurricanes.
“Just because the storms didn’t come to Florida the last couple years doesn’t mean that they couldn’t approach Florida or have big impacts for Florida this year,” Graham said.
And with that in mind, we need to be prepared now -- not later.
“You can have storm surge, you can have tornadoes, you can have inland flooding, you can have riverine flooding, you can have the high winds from the hurricane,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.
White House Deputy National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi also announced a new initiative for homeowners and renters.
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“And that’s why we’re excited today, in addition to being together to ready ourselves for the season that’s right in front of us, to be launching a national initiative to advance building codes all around the country,” Zaidi said.
The updated building codes will apply to new construction and to homes and buildings that are rebuilt due to damage.
There are communities across the country that have already adopted these codes, saving billions of dollars in the long run.