Wednesday is the official start of the 2016 hurricane season. Government officials are forecasting a near-normal season with four to eight hurricanes, one to four being major hurricanes.
RELATED: Hurricane Survival Guide | Watch WPTV's 'Surviving the Storm' on June 4 at 7 p.m.
During a news conference, the National Hurricane Center unveiled its potential storm surge planning map. The application will help local emergency management with their evacuation plans.
Storm surge is often the greatest threat to life and property from a hurricane.
"What kills people is water," FEMA administrator Craig Fugate said. "Don’t focus on the category of the storm, focus on the impacts of the storm and that may be heavy rain, it may be storm surge, it could be high winds or tornados."
Technology advances have improved, NOAA officials say, but its not enough if people don't evacuate.
"I am concerned about every person who has not prepared in advance for hurricane season," Hurricane Director Rick Nabb said. "Whether it's because you’re new to the problem, new to South Florida or that you’ve just got into the habit of not worrying about hurricanes because we’ve been fortunate for the last decade."
So far the NHC has tracked two storms, Alex and Bonnie. Hurricane Alex formed in January and Tropical Storm Bonnie brought rains and winds to Georgia and the Carolinas.
