2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season: NOAA Issues Storm Activity Level in the Coming Months

Hurricanes are common during the United States hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to November 30 each year. During this period, the formation of tropical storms, which could either intensify into hurricanes or not, become frequent compared to other seasons. While hurricanes do occur from the country's West Coast to East Coast, the most significant ones form over the Atlantic Ocean.

In previous years, the U.S. has experienced a multitude of deadly and destructive hurricanes, where some resulted in multiple casualties and widespread infrastructural damage. Records show that the eastern and southeastern states are the most vulnerable areas to hurricanes, which can initially hit and make landfall on the Atlantic coast of the mainland U.S., including Florida and Louisiana.

Now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued its long-term forecast for storm activity levels during the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. The forecast shows the occurrence of not only average hurricanes but also potentially deadly ones. From late September to early October 2022, the same season saw one of the most powerful hurricanes in the nation after it made landfall in Florida.

NOAA Hurricane Season Forecast

During a press conference, NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad stated the NOAA is predicting one to four major hurricanes during the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, Reuters reported.

Spinrad adds there is a 40% chance of a near-normal Atlantic hurricane season. Meanwhile, there is either a 30% chance of an above-normal or a below-normal hurricane season. This means that there is also a chance of an increased storm or hurricane activity.

The U.S. hurricane season could also experience 12 to 17 named storms, wherein five to nine of these weather disturbances could become hurricanes with maximum winds of at least 74 miles per hour. Furthermore, one to four of these could rank as major hurricanes of at least Category 3 and above, the NOAA administrator adds.

Hurricane Preparedness Measures

Amid climate change, the information and expertise NOAA provides to people, including emergency managers and partners, to serve as guidance in their decision-making prior to, during, and after a hurricane has been more crucial than ever before, according to Spinrad, as cited by Newsweek.

With this, the NOAA are implementing a new hurricane forecast model in 2023. The U.S. government agency will also lengthen the tropical cyclone outlook from five to seven days, emphasizing this will give additional time to prepare.

2022 Hurricane Season

During the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, a total of 304 fatalities have been reported after the U.S. was bombarded with eight hurricanes. One of the most notable incidents was in Florida, where a powerful storm named Hurricane Ian struck the Sunshine State, resulting in the deaths of 149 people, according to the University of South Florida.

Unlike one's typical inclement weather, hurricanes are dangerous since exceptionally powerful winds have been its main threat, causing large tidal waves, besides their capability to cause heavy rain and flooding, based on previous hurricane-related incidents in the U.S. before.