Anson

... Record low temperature tied at the Piedmont triad international
Airport...

At 508 am... the temperature at the Piedmont triad international
Airport fell to 43 degrees. This tied the record low for may 25...
last set in 1956. Should the overnight low fall below 43 degrees...
another record event report will be sent.

... This week is hurricane preparedness week for 2013...

Today Marks the first day of the 2013 hurricane preparedness week.
This is the time for everybody who lives in hurricane prone coastal
states to make weather readiness a priority and examine how each
person in the coastlines across the United States can be a force
of nature. All week long the National Weather Service will issue
informative messages to help you prepare for the hurricane season.
Topics covered this week will include storm surge... winds... inland
flooding... forecast process... and planning and action.

Last week NOAA issued its 2013 seasonal forecast for tropical
cyclone activity in the Atlantic Basin. This forecast stated that
conditions in the atmosphere and the ocean favor an active
hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin this season. For the six-
month hurricane season... which begins June 1... noaa's Atlantic
hurricane season outlook says there is a 70 percent likelihood of
13 to 20 named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher... of which 7
to 11 could become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or
higher... including 3 to 6 major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph
or higher. Based on the period 1981 to 2010... an average season
produces 12 named storms with six hurricanes... including three
major hurricanes.

So how does this seasonal forecast relate to what we can expect here
in north carolina? Unfortunately there is really no way to know for
sure. Realize that no matter what the long range outlook calls
for... just one storm can spell disaster and preparing for these
storms and their threats is the key to safety. North Carolina is
one of the most hurricane ravaged states in the country. A look
back at our hurricane history tells the story.

Nearly 20 percent of all tropical systems pass within at least 300
miles of North Carolina. In any given year there is a one in three
chance that our state will experience a hurricane landfall. A major
hurricane threatens North Carolina at least once every 11 years.
The last storm to make landfall as a hurricane in North Carolina was
Hurricane Irene in 2011. The last major hurricane to threaten and
impact the state was hurricane fran in 1996.

Since records have been kept dating back to 1806... over 70 tropical
systems have made direct landfall on the North Carolina coast. Even
more disturbing is the fact that around 100 tropical systems have
moved through the area impacting the state without actually making
landfall along our coast. North Carolina's unique geography with
respect to its protruding coastline makes the state a favorable
target for hurricanes. Residents living in the eastern half of North
Carolina from Raleigh to the coast protrude out into the Atlantic
Ocean along the same longitude as the Florida coast and Bahamas.
This geographical fact makes the coast from Wilmington to Cape
Hatteras the most favorable location for hurricane and tropical
storm landfalls.

The most active months for tropical systems in North Carolina are
August and September. However... hurricanes have wreaked havoc as
early as late June and as late as mid-November. The peak tropical
activity usually occurs in a six week period from mid-August to late
September. During active cycles in hurricane activity North Carolina
can experience multiple hurricanes and tropical storms within weeks
of each other.

When it comes to this hurricane season... being a force of nature
means taking appropriate action and inspiring others to do the
same. An informed and motivated public will transform the way the
United States responds to hurricane seasons and... ultimately...
save more lives and livelihoods. Make a pledge to prepare for
this hurricane season... complete an emergency preparedness
plan... make or update your emergency kit... and be an example by
sharing your preparedness story with family... friends... neighbors...
and co-workers.

For more information about hurricane preparedness... please visit the
following web sites: http://www.NHC.NOAA.Gov/prepare and
http://www.Ready.Gov/hurricanes