Hurricane season officially begins today, and it looks like it will be a busy one.
As we have previously discussed, there’s ample reason to expect a very active hurricane season this year.
And so it wasn’t too surprising this morning when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the parent agency of the National Hurricane Center, released an especially bullish forecast. They’re predicting:
• 14-23 Named Storms
• 8-14 Hurricanes
• 3-7 Major Hurricanes
• An ACE range of 155%-270% of the median.
Heretofore the general consensus has been around 15 named storms, however NOAA has significantly upped the ante with what is essentially a prediction of 18.5 named storms. That’s an incredibly active year considering, over the long-term, the Atlantic basin sees about 10 named storms a year.
It may have been a cold winter here, but it was pretty darned warm everywhere else, so this should not be a surprise. Don’t count on a repeat of last year. And while you’re stocking up on bottled water and batteries and whatnot, now would also be a good time to review your insurance. Better to know what you’ve got before you need it.