RALEIGH - On the first day of the 2005 hurricane season, U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) hosted a hurricane forecasting forum featuring local, state and national weather officials, hurricane researchers and emergency management officials, including the Director of the National Weather Service. "Hurricanes: Forecasting to Save Lives" featured a discussion of cutting-edge technology and research on hurricane forecasting, especially relating to inland flooding, and new warning systems to help save lives and communities.

"Today, the first day of hurricane season, marks the beginning of an anxious time for our state," Etheridge said. "North Carolina has faced more than its fair share of deadly hurricanes, like Hurricane Floyd, which showed the power of these storms on our inland communities. We have made significant progress in hurricane forecasting and inland flood forecasting since 1999, and it is my hope that today's group of experts will chart a course for another five years of innovation. Together, we can save lives."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted this will be another above-normal hurricane season. NOAA predicts that this season there will be between seven and nine hurricanes of which as many as five could become major hurricanes.

"Impacts from hurricanes, tropical storms and their remnants do not stop at the coast," stated retired Air Force Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, director of NOAA's National Weather Service. "As we look at another highly active season starting today, preparation plans should consider that these storms carry severe weather, such as tornadoes and flooding, while moving inland. The very active season of 2004 was a sobering reminder that inland flooding can be the deadliest aspect of a tropical system."

North Carolina has seen more than its fair share of deadly and costly hurricanes. Last hurricane season, seven hurricanes and tropical storms hit North Carolina, leaving 50 counties under a State of Emergency and at least $200 million in damages to businesses, towns and homes.

As the head of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, Secretary Bryan Beatty is charged with preparing the state for hurricanes and overseeing the response. "Last fall's storms taught us that no part of North Carolina is immune from hurricanes and tropical storms," Beatty said. "That means everyone in the state needs to get their family emergency plan in place and their disaster supplies kit stocked and ready."

Within the N.C. Department of Emergency Management, David Herlong has worked on developing the N.C. Flood Warning System, a real-time flood warning system to improve the protection of lives and property. This new program uses new digital flood maps combined with real-time data collected from rain and stream gauges to produce maps of the specific areas under threat of flooding.

Dr. Len Pietrafesa and Dr. Lian Xie from N.C. State University today announced a new forecasting method that they have developed to forecast the number of hurricanes likely to form in the Atlantic Ocean as well as the number likely to threaten the eastern seaboard. The new model, which is based on the temperature difference between the North and South Atlantic Ocean, predicts that two to three hurricanes are likely to strike the eastern seaboard.

Etheridge has worked to improve hurricane forecasting techniques since Hurricane Floyd ravaged North Carolina in 1999. The more than 50 deaths that occurred in North Carolina following Hurricane Floyd and the majority of the property damage occurred in inland communities due to flooding. In 2000, Etheridge brought together experts to consider the lessons learned from Floyd and developed legislation that was passed into law, the Tropical Cyclone Inland Forecasting Improvement and Warning System Development Act. Today's forum was an opportunity to chart the progress in hurricane forecasting that has been made since 2000 and to set a course for future improvements and innovation.

Other panelists included Peter Gabrielsen, Chief of Hydrologic Services for the Eastern Region of the National Weather Service, Gary Stephenson, Chief Meteorologist at News 14, Elizabeth Gardner, Meteorologist at WRAL, Janice Jones, Chief Meteorologist at WNCN, Joanne Feldman, Meteorologist WTVD and Shaowu Bao, a research associate at N.C. State University.