Hurricane season is underway, and experts are warning it could be a difficult one.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an above-normal 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. Anxiety is high for many North Carolinians in the wake of the devastation brought to the western part of the state last year by Hurricane Helene. Recovery continues in the region.
Adding to concerns are cuts by the Trump administration at NOAA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which have eliminated entire programs and hundreds of employees. The National Weather Service also experienced staffing cuts. However, after public backlash, the agency is beginning the process of hiring more employees to “stabilize operations.”
On the next Charlotte Talks, we look at how to prepare for this potentially intense hurricane season, the continuing impact of climate change, and how federal cuts are impacting weather services at the local level.
GUESTS:
Charles “Chip” Konrad, director of the Southeast Regional Climate Center (SERCC) and professor in the department of Geography and Environment at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Will McDow, associate vice president for the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds strategic initiative
Brad Panovich, chief meteorologist at WCNC
