We're still in the middle of spring, but like it or not, hurricane season is just around the corner. Today marks 50 days until the start of hurricane season on June 1.
Meteorologist Juan Peña with the Corpus Christi National Weather Service (NWS) said preparations are already underway ahead of the season. They're not only preparing the office but also their own homes and supply kits.
"Right now we're just going through all our training, making sure we know all our procedures, making sure we've got everything down pat that we need to do," he said.
Peña also mentioned on top of that, they're ensuring their supplies are in order and their hurricane shutters work - both at the office and at home. He says it's important to have batteries, food, and anything else that's on your hurricane checklist.
The NWS is also raising awareness that now is the time to start thinking about your own preparations.
The best way to prepare before a storm is to try and knock out as many things on your to-do list as soon as possible. That includes a trip to the grocery store to stock up on items like non-perishable canned goods and batteries.
Not waiting until the last minute to prepare is a good way to make a stressful situation a little better, according to Peña.
"Prepare every season like you're going to expect a life-changing hurricane because you never know when you're going to get that Hurricane Harvey, you never know when you're going to get that Hurricane Katrina," Peña said.
In the event of a storm, the NWS keeps an open line of communication with city leaders and emergency management in the days leading up to and during an event. They also rely on other partners, like local media, to help spread information.
Additionally, they put out as many products as possible in both English and Spanish because their goal is to make sure everyone knows what to expect so that the community can adequately prepare for a storm.
It's important to have trusted sources, to stay up-to-date on the tropics, and to stay alert during hurricane season - because it doesn't matter if a season is slow or busy, it just takes one storm to affect a community and change someone's life.