A major hurricane packs sustained winds greater than 110 mph and is classified as Category 3 or above on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale. During seasons with normal storm activity, one or two hurricanes barrel ashore in the United States, and one strikes land in the Caribbean. Despite the decrease in the number of hurricanes from recent years, scientists at the news conference, which marked the beginning of a nationwide Hurricane Awareness Week, warned that this year's storm season still could issue disaster. Max Mayfield, director of NOAA's National Hurricane Center in Miami, cited some of the most costly and destructive hurricanes that have struck during years of normal or below-average storm activity. We don't want people to be caught off guard by a land-falling storm because the hurricane outlook calls for normal storm activity.
Flooding is the most frequent cause of death during a hurricane.
In particular, Mayfield cautioned people to heed the dangers of inland flooding, the leading killer during a hurricane. In 1999, Hurricane Floyd brought record flooding to the East Coast. Fifty of 56 deaths during Hurricane Floyd were direct results of inland flooding. That kind of threat remains with each approaching storm. Mayfield also advised people to follow evacuation orders or risk the dangers of storm surge .