December 22, 2024 14:27 PM

NOAA Hurricane Forecast: Prepare For an Extremely Active 2013 Hurricane Season

The NOAA Hurricane forecast has been revealed and experts are predicting an extremely active hurricane reason.

According to the 2013 hurricane outlook by the Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center, there is a "70 percent likelihood" that will be three to six major hurricanes this year with winds above 111 mph, Yahoo reports.

The six-month hurricane season lasts from June 1 to November 30. During this time, forecasters predict that there will be 13 to 20 named storms with winds 39 mph or higher. Of those, they believe seven to 11 could turn into hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher. Three to six of those storms could become major hurricanes with winds of up to 111 miles per hour.

The prediction ranges are higher than usual as there is an average of 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes during a storm season.

This prediction comes as thousands of shoreline residents are trying to recover from hurricane Sandy which hit in October 2012. The storm killed 147 people and caused more than $75 billion in damage, making it the second-costliest hurricane in U.S. history.

Those in the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts will now have to brace themselves for this upcoming active hurricane season.

Last season, there was an above-average number of storms but Sandy and Michael, a storm which stayed over the Atlantic, were the only two major hurricanes, which is below the average three.

This year's forecast is due to climate factors such as warmer-than-average water temperatures.

The NOAA advises people to take precautions right away.

And homeowners should begin their storm preparations now.

"Take time to refresh your hurricane preparedness plan," Kathryn Sullivan, NOAA acting administrator, said during a news conference in College Park, Md."Bottom line is become weather-ready now-that means starting today."

This forecast doesn't predict how many storms will actually hit land or where they'll hit, but Sullivan said "this is your warning."

Join the Discussion
Real Time Analytics