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Channel 7 meteorologist: North Bay Village should prepare early as hurricane season begins
Summary
Channel 7 chief meteorologist Phil Perra told a North Bay Village audience that warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures and a busy Atlantic forecast make early preparation essential; he urged residents to check supplies, pet plans and evacuation routes.
Phil Perra, chief meteorologist for Channel 7, told North Bay Village residents at a village workshop that the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season looks active and urged early preparation.
Perra cited the National Hurricane Center’s seasonal forecast range and local sea-surface temperatures. “Right now, already, our water temperature is at 89 degrees, and it's only going to get warmer,” Perra said, then summarized the NHC seasonal range the transcript records as 13–19 named systems, with 6–10 becoming hurricanes and 3–5 becoming major hurricanes. He explained that the forecast cone shows the probable center of the storm but not the full area of impact, and emphasized that surge, wind and inland flooding can affect areas well outside a cone’s center.
Perra described practical steps for residents: review emergency supplies, store prescription medications, make pet plans and sign up for local alerts. He also encouraged signing up for county information and said broadcast meteorologists will relay National Hurricane Center advisories and local guidance as storms develop. “Prepare, prepare, prepare,” he said. “Don’t wait till the last minute.”
The presentation mixed live remarks and an 8-minute instructional video on hurricane formation, the Saffir–Simpson scale and forecasting tools such as satellites, hurricane-hunter aircraft and radar. The meteorologist concluded by stressing that residents in low-lying islands should consider surge and wind impacts when choosing whether to shelter in place or evacuate.
