Atlanta — Hurricane season hasn't even officially started, but with spaghetti models already showing up on the news, you might feel like 2017's season never ended.
"It was an above average season for us last year," 11Alive Meteorologist Chesley McNeil said. "We had way more land-falling major hurricanes than what was predicted. A lot of that was because we thought La Nina would take over and we would have a below average season but that didn't happen."
And Chesley said that if you were hoping for a slower season, you're going to be disappointed.
"Colorado States predictions came out, they're expecting just a little bit above average," he said. "NOAA just came out, they're a little higher."
We all remember the devastating effects Hurricane Irma had on Atlanta in 2017, trapping some in their neighborhoods for days without power. Chesley said the time to prepare is now.
You need to have a mess kit, meaning canned food, and water and flashlights which won't do you much good if you don't have the batteries to go in them. It's also important to have an extra can full of gas just in case we experience shortages and extra medications.
"You want to make sure you have a little extra on hand because you may not be able to get to the store and buy those," Chesley said. "And make sure you know where they are."
The National Hurricane Center predicts 2018 will have 10 to 16 named storms, five to nine hurricanes and one to four will be Category 3 storms or higher.
