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Hurricane season begins today, and Woodlands area residents should prepare

By: Woodlands Online Weather
| Published 06/01/2022

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THE WOODLANDS, TX – June 1 marks the onset of hurricane season, which lasts until November 30. Though local residents are only interested in storms that brew in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, the first named storm in the Pacific already has meteorologists on the lookout.

NOAA is expecting above-average activity for the seventh year running


The Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – an agency part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, of all things – is predicting above-average hurricane activity this year, which would make it the seventh consecutive duch prediction. Forecasters predict a 65% chance of an above-normal season, a 25% chance of a near-normal season and a 10% chance of a below-normal season.

NOAA is forecasting a likely range of 14 to 21 named storms – defined as having winds of 39 mph or higher – of which six to ten could become hurricanes, which have defining winds of 74 mph or higher. This prediction includes three to six major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). Willing to put their reputation on the line with confidence, NOAA provides these ranges with a 70% confidence.

According to NOAA, the increased activity anticipated this season is attributed to several climate factors, including the ongoing La Niña that is likely to persist throughout the hurricane season, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds, and an enhanced west African monsoon.

Though most Woodlands area residents are 100-plus miles from the Gulf coast, they aren’t unfamiliar with the devastation that storms can bring; Ike brought down trees and power lines in equal quantities, stranding thousands without power for weeks, and the Tax Day and Memorial Day floods of a few years back drove home the necessity to purchase flood insurance. Homeowners and renters alike should bone up on what their standard insurance policies do and don’t cover; additionally, Woodlands Online encourages everyone to purchase flood insurance packages now, as there is a 30-day moratorium on their effective date.

Woodlands Online has been instrumental in keeping the community informed during weather crises, and our staff is on standby for this entire hurricane season. And – in case you were wondering – here is the list of named Atlantic storms for this year: Alex, Bonnie, Colin, Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Gaston, Hermine, Ian, Julia, Karl, Lisa, Martin, Nicole, Owen, Paula, Richard, Shary, Tobias, Virginie, and Walter.

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