As the seasons change and the snow melts, maintenance and engineering managers on the Atlantic Coast begin to shift their focus in regards to emergency preparedness. Their focus moves from snow and ice management to potential floods, heavy rains, and hurricane preparedness.
After an active Atlantic hurricane season in 2018, AccuWeather forecasters are predicting 2019 to bring a near- to slightly above-normal season with 12 to 14 storms.
Of those storms, five to seven are forecast to become hurricanes and two to four are forecast to become major hurricanes, according to USA Today.
An average hurricane season has 12 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30
“This year, we think that there will be a few less tropical storms and lower numbers in hurricanes, but again, the old saying is ‘it only takes one,’” AccuWeather Atlantic Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said. "The climate pattern (in 2019) has the capability to produce several very strong storms; people should not let their guard down.
“This year, just about all coastal areas look like they have equal chances (of being impacted),” Kottlowski said.
Regardless of how the season pans out, Kottlowski warned that everyone living along the coast should have a hurricane plan in place.
“Now is the time to start planning. Of those people who were impacted by Florence and Michael last year, the ones who did not have plans in place had the most difficulty in dealing with the storm when it was occurring and during the recovery.”
Ryan Berlin is digital content manager of Facilitiesnet.com.
