Buying Time
The National Hurricane Center's record for tracking hurricanes and where they'll hit land is getting better and better, giving coastal residents more time to prepare. The center has gone from predicting landfall two days ahead to issuing the warning five days in advance. Here's a look at how far off predictions have been on average.
48HR | 72HR | 96HR | 120HR | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | 253 | 384 | ||
1980 | 226 | 345 | ||
1990 | 157 | 233 | ||
2000 | 132 | 221 | ||
2004 | 94 | 143 | 200 | 281 |
Source: National Hurricane Center
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