The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its Atlantic hurricane outlook during a news conference at City Hall on Wednesday. The report predicted a below-normal storm season. The 2015 forecast looks mild, but Mayor Mitch Landrieu reminded the crowd it only takes one major hurricane. And even though NOAA is generally on par with their predictions, "nobody can guarantee you what’s gonna happen," the mayor says.
Landrieu says there’s a simple reason why the city’s game plan is called a "risk reduction" strategy: because it’s not a risk guarantee strategy. "All of these things, rebuilding the coast, to rebuilding the levees, to better design, to having a plan, to evacuation and recovery, is all about reducing the risk."
There will be a 70 percent likelihood of 6-11 named storms; 3-6 of those could become hurricanes, and two of those are expected to become major hurricanes, defined as Category 3, 4 or 5.
Hurricane season officially runs June 1 through November 30.
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