"For the 1970 to 1999 time period, 63 percent of all deaths from hurricanes were in inland counties," Brock Long said at the monthly meeting of elected officials sponsored by state Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills.
"Hurricanes are not just a coastal problem," Long said. "It's important to have a plan for hurricanes -- how to operate when the power is off."
Most of those inland deaths were "freshwater" deaths, caused by floods from the massive rainfalls that often accompany hurricanes.
Though the official hurricane season began with the start of June, Long said the most risk comes in last summer and early fall. Alabama has not been hit by a major hurricane before August 15 or after October 15.