2020 Texas Hurricane Season Predicted as Above Average

As COVID -19 daily updates seem to be quieting down a bit in Texas, we are hearing more clearly what just weeks ago seemed to be mere whisperings of our upcoming hurricane season from local meteorologists. More likely, we just were not mentally ready to hear it. Do you realize last week was Hurricane Preparedness for Texas?

Case in point.

We've been really, really preoccupied lately, but Mother Nature goes on ahead of us, whether we are ready or not. Weather, we are ready or not.

Consider this...Hurricane Harvey was just three years ago in August of 2017 and is generally not considered in many of the 'Top Five Worst Hurricanes to Ever Hit Texas' lists. If you were in Texas for Harvey, you know how crazy that last sentence seems. Not even in the top five. Wow.

Unfortunately, it only takes a second to peruse the internet to discover the abundant predictions of an above-average hurricane season predicted for Texas in 2020.

The Farmer's Almanac offers, "Above-normal hurricane activity is predicted for the 2020 season. The main reasons for this stronger-than-usual forecast: include; current El Niño climate conditions, which tend to suppress hurricane activity, are predicted to weaken to either a cool neutral El Niño or a weak La Niña during summer or fall, and in the tropical Atlantic, sea surface temperatures are slightly above normal, which tends to be associated with stronger storms.

Accuweather says " Led by Dan Kottlowksi, AccuWeather's top hurricane expert, meteorologists this week released a 2020 Atlantic hurricane forecast. Kottlowksi's team is calling for 14-18 tropical storms during this upcoming season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Of those storms, seven to nine are forecast to become hurricanes, and two to four are predicted to strengthen into major hurricanes."

AccuWeather is one of many sites that predicts 14-18 named storms for the season, of which seven to nine are expected to become hurricanes, with 2 to 4 likely to make landfall in the US.

Are you prepared?

• What does your insurance policy say about hurricane damage?
• Do you have flood damage in your policy?
• What is your evacuation plan?
• Do you have a hurricane emergency kit?
• What is your plan for your pet?
• What about your family medications?

These are just a few of the questions you will want to have answers to before June 1st.  If you would like more information about Hurricane preparedness, visit the National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA) website by clicking here.

Stay safe, stay ready Texas. Listen up.