Warning Issued About Hurricane Season After 'Catastrophic' Disasters
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The worst of the Atlantic hurricane season is yet to come, AccuWeather meteorologists warned on Thursday as a report from the organization urged people to prepare the storms now by checking evacuation routes, securing proper insurance and restocking emergency supplies.
Why It Matters
Several devastating weather disasters have already struck the U.S. this year, including the July 4th weekend floods that inundated central Texas and catastrophic wildfires that ravaged California in January, among others.
The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and runs through November 30. The last storm to materialize was Tropical Storm Chantal in early July that brought flooding rainfall to parts of the East Coast. The next storm will be named Dexter.
A hurricane is seen from space.
A hurricane is seen from space.
buradaki/Getty
What To Know
Earlier this month, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned people in hurricane-risk areas.
"On average, 86% of all named tropical systems in the Atlantic occur after August 2, and the first hurricane doesn't form until August 11," the NWS said on X on July 22. "We have a long season to go."
Now, AccuWeather meteorologists are advising people to have safety plans in place, as the peak of hurricane season doesn't typically occur until September 11. AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter stressed the importance of preparing for disasters before they arrive.
"Our nation has been hit exceptionally hard by catastrophic and heartbreaking weather disasters this year. Historically, many of the high-impact and costliest weather disasters in America typically happen during the months of August, September and October," Porter said in a report by AccuWeather. "We are urging everyone to review their family or business safety plans, check insurance policies, and make sure your friends and loved ones take severe weather threats seriously as we head into the heart of hurricane and wildfire seasons."
Abnormally warm water temperatures could contribute to rapid intensification should a storm form, which could cause the storm to quickly strengthen before making landfall. There also is a risk for "homegrown tropical development," in which storms form close to the U.S., the AccuWeather report said.
AccuWeather's Atlantic Hurricane season forecast predicts 13 to 18 named storms, including seven to 10 hurricanes. Of the named storms, three to six direct U.S. impacts are forecast. AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva told Newsweek that AccuWeather will assess its forecast on September 1.
"We do expect things to pick up through the month of August," he said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting from 13 to 19 named storms for this year's Atlantic hurricane season, with six to 10 strengthening into hurricanes and three to five into major hurricanes. Agency forecasters are 70 percent confident in the ranges, the report said.
What People Are Saying
AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter, in the report: "The frequency of weather disasters in the U.S. this year has been alarming, and we're still weeks away from the statistical peaks of hurricane and wildfire seasons. AccuWeather hurricane experts predict conditions conducive for tropical development to expand across the Atlantic basin over the next few weeks. AccuWeather long-range experts say hot and dry weather, combined with the potential for wind and other triggers, will increase the risk for fires to spark and spread across the western U.S. in August."
AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva, in the report: "The third named storm of the season typically develops in early August, and the fourth named storm forms around mid-August. The second half of this Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to be much more active and volatile than the first half. If influences from a returning La Nina emerge later this year, we could see conditions that are conducive for tropical storm development extending right through late October and November, possibly even into early December this year."
What Happens Next
As of Thursday, the NHC is not tracking any potential systems in the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, the Pacific Ocean remains active, with two tropical storms currently churning and the NHC tracking two potential systems that could strengthen into storms within the next few days.
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