No one could have foreseen how traumatic Hurricane Helene would be for so many people in so many states, but it underscores precisely why National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan stresses individual preparation for hurricane season, which begins June 1.

The biggest thing people need to know is their own risk – from storm surge, wind, heavy rainfall, flooding, tornadoes and rip currents – regardless of how far they live from where a tropical storm or hurricane makes landfall, Brennan says. Helene and its aftermath, which killed 248 and caused almost $80 billion in damage, clearly demonstrated how destruction can occur miles inland or far from landfall.

“Getting ready for hurricane season is all about knowing that risk and starting the hurricane season ready for what that ri

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