Get ready for more storms this summer.
For the seventh consecutive year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an above-average Atlantic hurricane season.
“There is a 65% chance of an above-normal season, a 25% chance of a near-normal season, and just a 10% chance of a below-normal season,” NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad said at a news conference in Brooklyn.
The 2022 forecast projects 14 to 21 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes, and three to six major hurricanes. The six-month hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.
Last year, there were 21 named storms and four major hurricanes, including Hurricane Ida, the remnants of which spawned tornadoes in the Philadelphia and South Jersey region and turned the Vine Street Expressway into a river.
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Spinrad said NOAA is getting better at predicting what it calls the “cone of uncertainty” when tracking a storm’s landfall.
“Our improved track forecast has allowed us to more accurately pinpoint the area most at risk, which reduces the size of areas that may need to evacuate when a hurricane threatens,” he explained.
FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said with storms becoming more frequent and more intense, the agency is focusing on getting people ready before a storm hits.
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“One of the biggest things that FEMA is doing is putting a lot more emphasis on the other parts of our mission, which is preparedness and mitigation,” she added.
Colorado State University last month also predicted a busy hurricane season.
While the number of this summer’s storms is uncertain, their names are not. NOAA announced when the first Atlantic storm forms, it will be named Alex.
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