The warm bathing waters of the Gulf of Mexico and a La Nina pattern will increase the risk of a serious storm hitting South Florida as we head into the height of hurricane season, the Miami Herald reported.
If you have not already done so, our Miami storm damage attorneys encourage you to make some basic preparations. Even the busiest among us can tackle hurricane preparation in stages, as we suggest on our Florida Insurance Claim Lawyer Blog.
The remainder of this year’s hurricane season is likely to be “bad and busy” according to forecasters. The presence of a La Nina pattern and record high water temperatures make the environment about as hurricane friendly as possible. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a 70 percent change of 14 to 20 named storms through November; thus far this year we have had just three named storms and two other tropical depressions that failed to strengthen.
Eight of the 12 predicted storms could reach hurricane threshold with four to six growing into major hurricanes.
“We’re to the period when you start to see these waves rolling off of Africa,” NOAA forecaster Gerry Bell told the Herald. “Everything is in place for a really active year.”
While NOAA does not make landfall predictions, history indicates a 90 chance of a strike somewhere on the East Coast and an 80 percent chance for Gulf Coast landfall. South Florida has not been hit by a major hurricane since Wilma in 2005 — a record year that produced 28 named storms and 15 hurricanes.
Water temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean are as high as they have been since 2005. La Nina, which is marked by cool temperatures in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, reduces wind sheer and can make it easier for storms in the Atlantic to form.
Earlier this month, famed hurricane prognosticator Dr. William Gray of Colorado State University predicted 18 named storms, including 10 hurricanes.
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