Researchers expect an active hurricane season in 2020, with 18 to 22 named storms forming in the Atlantic basin. The first – Hurricane Isaias – made landfall in the Carolinas in August, and experts predict 7 to 10 additional storms becoming hurricanes, with 3 to 5 becoming major hurricanes.

In a normal year, this would represent a major public health concern, requiring careful preparation – and this is anything but a normal year.

The COVID-19 outbreak will make hurricane preparation and recovery more challenging and time-intensive. North Carolina’s hospitals and health systems want to ensure all residents are prepared for this year’s hurricane threat, as many aspects of planning and storm response may be different due to the pandemic.