The upward trend of increasing frequency and severity of tropical cyclones highlights the importance of adequate preparation and disaster management planning for individuals and businesses in coastal regions. This is an image of catastrophic Hurricane Dorian over Grand Bahama on Sept. 2, 2019. Photo: NOAA.
The 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season is here, and there’s a 65% chance it’s going to follow last year’s lead. The 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season was the third most-active season on record to date. If this forecast is correct, 2022 could be the seventh above-average hurricane season in a row.
What constitutes an “average” hurricane season? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) bases its definition of an average Atlantic hurricane season on a 30-year climate period dating from 1991 to 2020. During that time, an average of 14 named storms consisting of winds 39 mph or greater, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or greater took place each year. In 2021, the U.S. experienced 21 named storms and seven hurricanes, four of which were classified as major.
