Today is the start of hurricane season for 2013, and we should expect a bumpy ride for the next few months.
NOAA predicts an above normal, and possibly a hyper-active hurricane season:
- 13-20 named storms
- 7-11 hurricanes
- 3-6 major hurricanes
This is about 50 percent more activity than occurs during a normal season. The main reason is higher-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the region of the Atlantic where hurricanes typically form, and no external factors that might dampen tropical activity.
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Since 1950 there have been an average of 12 tropical storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes during the Atlantic season.
So forecasters clearly expect a busier season.
However seasonal forecasting is far from a hard science. It’s difficult to predict meteorological conditions across the Atlantic, and their effect on a storm season, four months before the busiest time of a hurricane season begins.
Still, a recent analysis by a reader here found that the seasonal forecasts issued by NOAA — which will come out next month — is correct about twice as often as chance would predict. That’s not a perfect record, but it wouldn’t stop me from making reasonable preparations for hurricane season now.
Know whether you need to evacuate. Know what you will bring. Have a plan for where to go. Be prepared to protect your house. The simple steps you take now can make a big difference if a storm does indeed threaten Texas this year.
You can enter the annual Hurricane Prediction Contest here. And, of course, if you live in Katy, run for your lives.