Forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center are forecasting above-average Atlantic hurricane activity this year — which would make it the seventh consecutive above-average hurricane season.

By the numbers 

NOAA’s outlook predicts a 65% chance of an above-normal season, a 25 percent chance of a near-normal season, and a 10 percent chance of a below-normal season.

• NOAA is forecasting a likely range of 14 to 21 named storms, of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes, including 3 to 6 major hurricanes.
  • The Tropical Meteorology Project team at Colorado State University’s (CSU) Department of Atmospheric Science for 2022 calls for a 71 percent chance of a major hurricane making a mainland U.S. landfall, 47 percent for the U.S. East Coast, and 46 percent  for the Gulf Coast.

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active on record, with 30 named storms. The hurricane season in 2021 was the third most active for named storms with 21 including seven hurricanes – and four reaching “major hurricane” (Category 3, 4, or 5) intensity. After storm surge, flooding from rainfall is the second-biggest factor to cause fatalities in landfalling hurricanes and tropical storms.  a new study published in the research journal Nature Communications, the threat has been increasing over the past few decades, and will likely increase in the future, because warmer air can hold more water vapor, which leads to higher rainfall rates. 

Preparedness is Key

“There’s so much that you can do to prepare, and of course now is the time,” said Triple-I’s Janet Ruiz  on The Weather Channel. “You can get the right type of shutters, window glass… your garage door should be fortified and your roof of course needs to be fortified, tied down,” Ruiz said.
Take advantage of this window of opportunity to prepare and mitigate damage with Westfield’s hurricane preparedness tips, checklist and evacuation plan.

Source: Insurance Information Institute