NOAA Hurricane Outlook Indicates an Above-Normal Season

Urges residents in hurricane-prone areas to be preparedThe
Atlantic basin is expected to see an above-normal hurricane season this year,
according to the seasonal outlook issued by NOAA’s
Climate Prediction Center – a division of the National Weather
Service.
Across
the entire Atlantic Basin for the six-month season, which begins June 1, NOAA is
predicting the following ranges this year:

• 12 to 18 named storms
  (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which:
• 6 to 10 could become
  hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including:
• 3 to 6 major
  hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or
  higher)

Each of
these ranges has a 70 percent likelihood, and indicate that activity will exceed
the seasonal average of 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major
hurricanes.
Now is
the time to get your plan together for what you and your family would do if
disaster strikes. Visit ready.gov to learn more
and if
you’re a small business owner, visit www.ready.gov/business to ensure that
your business is prepared for a disaster.
Hurricane
impacts are not limited to the coastline; strong winds and flooding rainfall
often pose a threat across inland areas along with the risk for
tornadoes.
Next
week, May 22-28, is national Hurricane
Preparedness Week. To help prepare residents of hurricane-prone areas, NOAA
is unveiling a new set of video and audio public service announcements featuring
NOAA hurricane experts and the FEMA administrator that are available in both
English and Spanish. These are available at http://www.hurricanes.gov/prepare.  Release