U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (left) meets with weather forecaster to discuss the upcoming hurricane season.
Washington, D.C. -— Today, U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) toured North Carolina’s front-line forecasting center and met with officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) and an NC State Computer Science professor to discuss the threat to North Carolina’s coast and inland areas during hurricane season.
“Hurricane season is a very serious issue for the citizens of North Carolina,” said Etheridge. “ I appreciate the opportunity to meet with these noted weather experts to get the best information available about storm forecasts for this hurricane season.”
The 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1. This season could be very active, as NOAA is projecting a 70 percent probability of 14 to 23 named tropical storms and hurricanes. Etheridge formerly served on the Homeland Security Committee and has consistently worked to ensure that the state has the tools it needs to protect the public.
During today’s meeting, Etheridge spoke with forecasters from North Carolina’s local National Weather Service and used their feedback to gather ideas of additional tools needed for the state to battle a large catastrophic storm. NC State professor Dr. Tao Xie demonstrated his state-of-the-art Hurricane Tracking Model computer program which forecasts the likely track of a hurricane according to probability calculations.
“When disaster strikes, the phone rings here in Raleigh, North Carolina, not in Washington, DC,” Etheridge said. “We need the most accurate forecasting information possible as well in advance as possible. When it comes to natural disasters, we cannot afford to wait until the last minute to examine our state’s needs.”