ABC7 Meteorologist Bob Harrigan Addresses Del Webb Residents

Over 120 Del Webb residents turned out today to hear ABC7 Chief Meteorologist Bob Harrigan talk about his 30-year career here on the Suncoast dealing with hurricanes.

“It’s amazing that he has been through so many hurricanes, and can quickly relay the details of each from memory,” says CERT President, Howard Malis. “We were so impressed with all of the information and his funny anecdotes. Bob even told us about the time he went up in a C-130 plane for 12 hours with the Hurricane Hunters!”

In addition, Bob addressed some of the technical advances coming down the road to improve hurricane predictions. Artificial intelligence, drones, and Gulfstream jets flying above the storms are just some of the new ways they’ll be able to predict with even more certainty.

Don’t Let Your Guard Down on 2024 Hurricane Season

“While we’ve been lucky so far this hurricane season, and the number of storms predicted is way above what we’ve experienced thus far, don’t let your guard down. Make sure your home and your family stays prepared,” adds Malis. The disturbance developing right now to the Caribbean may (and we emphasize “may”) bring a storm to the Gulf. Bob warned us that October can be a tricky month (get the Halloween pun?). With cold fronts moving in from the northwest, and the warmth of the Gulf waters, we could be in for a surprise. But, he did say that October storms move more quickly because of these fronts.

Bob’s recommendation is that we prioritize the local weather report – especially from MySunCoast ABC7 – because it’s geared to the Sarasota / Manatee area. National reports from sources like the Weather Channel and even reports from the Tampa area are not as focused on our location. And, watch for how often the reports start appearing on the news. If reports occur not just at the top of the hour, but the bottom of the hour and at the quarter hours, then that’s when we should be listening intently.

Del Webb CERT thanks Bob for taking the time to visit with us today to provide us with valuable information. We appreciate the shout-out on his broadcasts this evening, and his support of our CERT team efforts.