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NOAA Predicts "Near-Normal" Hurricane Season

WWNO - New Orleans Public Radio | By Travis Lux
Published May 23, 2019 at 2:37 PM CDT
NOAA
NOAA says the El Niño effect will help suppress hurricane activity this year, but higher-than-normal sea surface temperatures will likely increase it. The combination of those factors, and others, led to the "near-normal" prediction."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a “near-normal” hurricane season this year.

NOAA’s 2019 hurricane season outlook, released Thursday, predicts anywhere from 9 to 15 named storms -- 4 to 8 of which could become hurricanes, and 2 to 4 of which could become major hurricanes (category 3, 4, or 5).

The average number of named storms is 12 per year, which usually includes about 3 major hurricanes.

Several factors go into the forecast. NOAA says the El Niño effect will help suppress hurricane activity this year, but that warmer-than-average sea temperatures will encourage it.

Hurricane season officially begins June 1st -- and lasts through November 30. The first named storm, Andrea, formed earlier this week near Bermuda.

 

Credit NOAA
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NOAA
On average, there are 12 named storms each hurricane season -- 6 of which typically become hurricanes, and 3 of which typically become major hurricanes.

Support for the Coastal Desk comes from the Walton Family Foundation and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
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Coastal Desk 2019 hurricane seasonhurricanesGulf of Mexico
Travis Lux
As Coastal Reporter, Travis Lux covers flood protection, coastal restoration, infrastructure, the energy and seafood industries, and the environment. In this role he's reported on everything from pipeline protests in the Atchafalaya swamp, to how shrimpers cope with low prices. He had a big hand in producing the series, New Orleans: Ready Or Not?, which examined how prepared New Orleans is for a future with more extreme weather. In 2017, Travis co-produced two episodes of TriPod: New Orleans at 300 examining New Orleans' historic efforts at flood protection. One episode, NOLA vs Nature: The Other Biggest Flood in New Orleans History, was recognized with awards from the Public Radio News Directors and the New Orleans Press Club. His stories often find a wider audience on national programs, too, like NPR's Morning Edition, WBUR's Here and Now, and WHYY's The Pulse.
See stories by Travis Lux

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