By Associated Press - Tuesday, May 27, 2014

MIAMI (AP) - U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz says she’s confident that South Florida’s emergency managers are prepared to help the region cope with any hurricane that might strike this year.

Officials from the National Hurricane Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Florida National Guard and Broward and Miami-Dade counties briefed the Democratic congresswoman Tuesday on their hurricane preparedness.

NOAA showed Wasserman Schultz one of the new small drones researchers plan to drop into storms this year in the hopes of learning more about how storms strengthen.

Hurricane center deputy director Ed Rappaport said his forecasters are focusing on improving information about storm surge threats. He said 50 years of data shows that water was to blame for about 90 percent of hurricane fatalities, while storm winds caused just 8 percent.

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