Miami's least favorite time of year, Hurricane Season, kicks off officially on June 1st, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an above average Atlantic season with as many as 18 named storms, ten hurricanes and six major hurricanes.
Here's the NOAA's full predictions:
That's well above the historical average, but not that different from the actual total the Atlantic saw last year: 19 named storms, 12 hurricanes, and 5 major hurricanes. Those numbers were within the range predicted last year by NOAA. Though, the US seemed to get lucky last year as no storm made land contact at full force.
- 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.
"However we can't count on luck to get us through this season," said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator in a statement. "We need to be prepared, especially with this above-normal outlook."
Miami in particular has been lucky when it comes to avoiding storms in recent years. Hurricane Wilma was the last storm that really shook the town up, and that was in 2005, the same year Hurricane Katrina passed through town before intensifying and devastating New Orleans.
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