Houstonians Brace Themselves for Another Round of Storms with Possible Flooding and Power Outages

Houston, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/18/2018 -- According to forecasters at Colorado State University's Tropical Meteorology Project, this year's hurricane season is likely to see more activity than usual. Released on Thursday, current projections call for 14 named storms in the Atlantic with a total of seven hurricanes, of which three are expected to be major. Major hurricanes are classified as those that reach Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. CSU's forecast represents a slight bump in storm activity over normal, with the average year seeing 12 named storms and six hurricanes with two major hurricanes.

One factor that plays a role in the development of named storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic is the state of El Nino in the Pacific. El Nino is expected to be neutral or weak this year, leading to average or slightly above average water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. This could encourage storm development in the Atlantic, as the warmer water temperatures associated with a strong El Nino typically cause areas of sinking air and strong wind shear in the Atlantic Basin that inhibit the development and growth of tropical cyclones.

The water temperature of the Atlantic also plays a key role in tropical storm development, with temperatures over 80 degrees often leading to increased tropical storm formation and hurricane development. Currently, water temperatures in the northernmost part of the Atlantic and in the eastern tropical regions are colder than normal, while temperatures off of the U.S.'s East Coast are above average. While water temperatures in the tropical regions of the Atlantic do typically stay above 80 degrees during hurricane season, storm formation and development could be constricted if waters in this region stay at their current below-average temperatures into the hurricane season's peak.

Despite the number of named storms and hurricanes expected to be larger than normal, this forecast cannot predict how many tropical storms and hurricanes will actually make landfall in the United States. Traditionally, there has been little correlation between the absolute number of storms and those that reach U.S. shores. Some of the most devastating major hurricanes in recent history, such as Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Hurricane Alicia in 1983, came during hurricane seasons with little named storm activity. Conversely, active storm seasons can result in few storms that actually make landfall; for example, 2010 saw 19 tropical storms with 12 hurricanes, yet only one tropical storm and no hurricanes reached land in the United States that year. 

Considering the devastation left in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma last year, and the widespread power outages, some people living on the coast are considering installing standby generators in preparation for this year's storm season.

While 2018 is expected to see higher-than-normal Atlantic storm activity, this hurricane season is still projected to be less active than 2017, which saw seven named storms make landfall including the destructive hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Atlantic hurricane season officially lasts from June until November.

You can see CSU's full report here: https://tropical.colostate.edu/media/sites/111/2018/04/2018-04.pdf

For information on how to prepare your home for a standby generator, see this informative post: http://www.aagenpro.com/blog/prepare-home-backup-generator.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Many coastal cities are preparing for a particularly aggressive storm season.

Houston, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 06/21/2017 -- According to the official forecast released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this year is projected to bring an above average hurricane season in the Atlantic. The NOAA's May 25th report cited warmer sea surface temperatures, an unusually weak or non-existent El Nino and below-average vertical wind shear as the causes behind the predicted increase in hurricane activities. In total, the NOAA believes that between 11 and 17 named storms are possible during the season that began June 1st, with five to nine becoming hurricanes and two to four developing into major hurricanes.

So far, the 2017 hurricane season is off to an unusually early start. In April, the north-central Atlantic experienced Tropical Storm Arlene. Though brief, Tropical Storm Arlene marks only the second time on record that a named storm occurred in the month of April. If the NOAA's predictions are correct, this year's hurricane season could signal the end of a record-breaking drought in major hurricane landfalls. A major hurricane has not made landfall in the United States since 2005's Hurricane Wilma; the odds of 11 years without such a landfall are approximately 1 in 2,000, according to a Colorado State University scientist.

However, not all experts agree on this year's hurricane forecast. Colorado State University puts out similar predictions each year, and the conclusion of Colorado State's hurricane researchers differs from that of the NOAA. After releasing an initial prediction in early April that this hurricane season would see "slightly below-average activity," Colorado State forecasters amended their projections on June 1 to call for a "near-average" season, with 14 named storms and six hurricanes, two of which are predicted to be major.

The difference between NOAA and Colorado State's forecasts appears to come down to differing conclusions regarding El Nino and sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic. In contrast with the NOAA, Colorado State researchers believe that a "weak to moderate" El Nino could emerge by the height of the hurricane season, and they assert that waters in the tropical Atlantic are actually cooler than normal right now, leading to greater atmospheric stability that impedes storm development.

In any case, the potential that this year will see more hurricane activity than normal has some nervous; after all, this year marks the 25th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew's landfall, which devastated the Florida coast. Acting NOAA administrator Ben Friedman notes that in the face of an above-average hurricane season, readiness is key: "We cannot stop hurricanes, but...we can prepare for them."

Due to the propensity of power outages following a hurricane or tropical storm, many people are choosing to prepare by installing standby generators in their homes and businesses.

For information on what to take into consideration when purchasing a generator, see this informative post: http://www.aagenpro.com/blog/features-looking-generator/

The Gulf Coast region, particularly Texas and Louisiana coastal areas, have been already been issued a tropical storm warning, thanks to Tropical Storm Cindy, which is expected to make landfall at some point on Wednesday and bring with it heavy winds and flooding.

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