The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center forecasted a near-normal Atlantic hurricane season this year. An average hurricane season produces 12 named storms, of which six become hurricanes, including three major ones.
NOAA is predicting nine to 15 named storms for 2019 (winds of 63 kilometres per hour or higher). Four to eight could become hurricanes (winds of 119 km/h or higher), including two to four major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 179 km/h or higher). So far this year two named storms have developed in the Atlantic.
August and September are typically the most active time for tropical systems to develop in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. 61% of all systems form in this timeframe. August sees more than three times the number of named storms as July, and almost double the number of June and July storms combined. As August progresses, the number of named storms steadily increases. There’s a 17-day stretch from mid-August to early September during which the most intense U.S. hurricane landfalls all occurred.
Despite 2019 being forecast as an average season, hurricane preparedness remains critical, just as it is every year. A generator can be a powerful tool during and after a storm – keeping essential equipment such as medical devices, refrigerators and sump pumps running. Remotely monitoring a generator helps to make sure that the emergency power system is ready for any power failure.