Katrina. Ike. Hugo. The mere mention of the word hurricane makes south carolinians hearts skip a beat.

"Of all the other disasters that South Carolina faces, first and foremost would be a hurricane," says Derrec Becker, South Carolina Emergency Management Division Public Information Officer.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the most devastating hurricane to ever hit the state Hugo battered the palmetto state in september 1989. That fact makes Thursday's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 2009 hurricane forecast an attention grabber. NOAA calling for a near normal season with four to seven hurricanes forming in the atlantic. One to three of those could become major hurricanes.

"We want the public to be ready for this year's season. Public awareness and public preparedness are the best defense. And that defense is more important than ever," says Gary Locke, U.S. Commerce Secretary.

"Storms that we've seen nationwide have shown people just the amount of devastation that can result," says Becker.

8 hurricanes developed in the atlantic in 2008..five of them were major costing more than a 1000 people their lives. Emergency management officials say now is the time to prepare for the 2009 season.

"It's never too early to start planning, but it can be too late," says Becker.

NOAA reminds the public that a forecast is not an indicator of landfalls, but if the public isn't ready even one landfall could be a disaster.