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The experts at Colorado State University are revising their earlier predictions, which had already forecast a hyperactive hurricane season, and are now forecasting at least 20 named storms or more for 2020.
When Tropical Storm Arthur formed on May 16 off the Florida coast, the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season got off to a early start, a half month earlier then it’s June 1 start date. Hurricane season runs until November 30.
A new record has already been set this year for the earliest date that a fifth name storm has occurred. And because of this and current and long-term conditions, the experts are revising their forecasts for named storms to a higher number.
Currently, an area of disturbed weather in the Atlantic has medium potential of forming into a tropical storm within the next five days, likely off the coast of the Carolinas, forecasters say.
Early predictions by the research team at Colorado State University put the estimated number of named storms for 2020 at 16. This was already an amount above average for a season.
Forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had also predicted a 60 percent chance of 2020 being an above-average hurricane season and they estimated between 13 and 19 named storms.
But now, the forecasters at Colorado State University believe we will see 20 or more named storms during the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, which includes the 5 that have already occurred, CNN reports.
They also expect to see 9 hurricanes in total, four of those being major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher, the latter of which has not changed from their earlier predictions.
If you live in an area that can be affected by hurricanes you should start getting prepared now.
The first thing you need to do is to make sure you have an emergency weather radio that runs on batteries and/or a hand crank and/or solar so that it will work regardless of power outages. It’s easy to find one that does all three. These connect directly to the NOAA to keep you informed.
Develop a family emergency plan. Start with planning and preparing your evacuation and communications strategy. Search for the best cell phone plan deals near me and make sure that every member of your family has a cell phone so that you can stay in contact should you get separated.
When you hear that a hurricane could be coming to your area, immediately make sure that you have an emergency kit that contains at least a 3 day supply of food and water, as well as a flashlight and backup battery chargers for your cell phone and more.
The best source of information with everything you need to know about getting prepared for a hurricane can be found at the National Hurricane Center preparedness page.
