Hurricane season is officially June 1 through November 30, but Louisiana State University Climatologist Barry Keim, along with a group of researchers are finding that the season tends to last longer, kicking off earlier and ending later.
Keim said over the last nine years, ten preseason storms have formed.
“So, we can get federal, state, and local agencies all on board and thinking about these storms a little bit sooner so that we’re actually better prepared for them when they do indeed occur,” said Keim.
The million-dollar question Keim said is whether the season is longer because of climate change or whether technology has advanced so that meteorologists are able to detect storms better than in the past.
“So this is a debate that we’re still having, but nevertheless whether it’s climate change or whether is just better surveillance of the storms, we’re still getting storms earlier in the season and outside of the dates we call hurricane season,” said Keim.
Researchers from LSU, the University of New Hampshire, and Colorado State University are among those participating in the study. Keim said they have great hurricane season records from 1970 on due to the implementation of satellites. Prior to the '70s, the records are less accurate because planes were used to compile storm data.
“And it does appear that hurricane seasons are indeed becoming longer, but again it is fraught with all sorts of data uncertainty,” said Keim.
Keim said it makes sense to begin hurricane season before June 1, so residents and emergency officials prepare before June.
