The 2024 Hurricane Season – Get Ready to Rumble
Hurricane season is only a few quick months away so taking the time to prepare ahead of time could save you precious time if/when a storm is on the horizon.
Midland's Meteorologist, Bruce Jones, takes a look at the hurricane forecast for the upcoming hurricane season and shares his tips for preparedness.
HURRICANES
If you live anywhere prone to Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico tropical storms, including of course hurricanes, make 2024 the year you REALLY get prepared.
Every year we talk about hurricane season preparedness, but most people have a hard time getting around to actually doing it.
2024 HURRICANE OUTLOOK
Is the 2024 hurricane season going to be bad?
As the Magic 8-Ball would say, “Signs point to yes”.
Hurricanes are Earth’s most powerful storms. Hundreds of miles across, they form over the warmest of ocean waters, under the lightest of winds.
Their season runs from June through November. The worst seasons can bring dozens of these storms, most of which remain harmlessly out to sea, but landfalling hurricanes can be disastrous and deadly. These storms bring high winds, surging seas, flash floods, and tornadoes wreaking havoc on entire states.
It’s possible 2024 could be a blockbuster year because two big ingredients are coming together: warm ocean water and La Niña.
Photo courtesy: NOAA
THE CULPRITS
As of early February, the warmer-than-normal ocean water sits in the hurricane Main Development Region (MDR) in the Atlantic Ocean between Africa and South America. This is where low pressure systems gliding out of Africa gather strength from warm, moist air.
As we enter the 2024 hurricane season, a fading El Niño in the Pacific will give way to a cool water La Niña pattern which will calm the upper-level jet stream winds. Those calm winds allow low pressure in the MDR to have a better chance of becoming a hurricane. Here’s how:
To develop and strengthen, hurricanes need the warmest water and the lightest winds. Both ingredients will be in place during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.Photo courtesy: NOAA
ONLY TIME WILL TELL
A forecast like this is not set in stone. In the weather world odd things happen…or don’t.
However, given the chance that someone “might” try to enter your house, don’t you lock your doors at night? Given the chance that where you live could get walloped by a hurricane this year, wouldn’t it be wise to make sure your family is set to survive and thrive, rather than becoming victims in need of help?
PREPAREDNESS IS KEY
Make 2024 your hurricane safety year.
Have a preparedness kit with food, water, first aid, sanitation supplies, and a NOAA Weather Radio. These radios give you multiple redundant ways to receive warnings for hurricanes, storm surge, extreme winds, flash floods, and tornadoes because all those things can happen when the strongest storm on Earth comes pounding on your door.
WR120 NOAA WEATHER ALERT RADIO
Midland's WR120 NOAA Weather Alert Radio is the gold star of weather radios.
It'll alert homeowners to over 60 kinds of weather hazards and emergencies, like hurricanes. With S.A.M.E. EZ localized programming, the National Weather Service will send alerts like watches and warnings when a storm is imminent. The WR120 instantly alerts its users bringing them the latest, most accurate information.
Getting these alerts as soon as the National Weather Service issues them, the WR120 gives its users the time needed to put their plan into action by seeking shelter or evacuating.
MIDLAND ER40 EMERGENCY CRANK RADIO
Midland's ER40 Emergency Crank Radio is great for hurricane evacuations. It's mobility allows users to continue to receive the latest information directly from the National Weather Service.
With multiple sources of power like a lithium rechargeable batter, solar panel, and hand crank, the ER40 will keep users alerted as they travel through an evacuation or bunker down at home to ride out the storm.
Also equipped with a flashlight with SOS Strobe, the ER40 also helps its users navigate power outages or dimly lit areas.
Other features include AM/FM Radio, backlit LCD display, micro USB charging cable, and wrist lanyard.
