The 2022 hurricane season is projected to see 19 named storms and nine hurricanes, four of which are expected to turn into major hurricanes, according to researchers at Colorado State University’s (CSU) Department of Atmospheric Science.
An average season, based on data from 1991-2020, sees around 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and three major hurricanes (Category 3 or above), according to CSU’s extended range forecast. This past year saw the third-most named storms on record, and seven of those 21 storms became hurricanes. Of those, four were categorized as major.
“While tropical Atlantic water temperatures are currently near their long-term averages, the warmer-than-normal subtropical eastern Atlantic typically forces a weaker subtropical high and associated weaker winds blowing across the tropical Atlantic. These conditions then lead to warmer waters in the tropical Atlantic for the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season,” Phil Klotzbaach, PhD, a research scientist at CSU’s Department of Atmospheric Science and a nonresident scholar with the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), said in a release.
The continental U.S. coastline has a 71% probability of at least one major hurricane making landfall. During the past century the average probability was 52%, CSU reported. Further, the East Coast (including the Florida Peninsula) has a 47% chance of at least one major hurricane making landfall, while the probability for the Gulf Coast (Florida’s Panhandle west to Brownsville) is 46%. The Caribbean’s probability is 60%.
“The widespread damage the U.S. experienced last year from tropical systems highlighted the importance of being financially protected from catastrophic losses and that includes having adequate levels of property insurance and flood coverage. In fact, we not only saw historic levels of flooding in coastal areas in 2021, but throughout inland communities as well. All it takes is one storm to make it an active season for you and your family, so it is time to prepare as the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season’s start nears,” Sean Kevelighan, Triple-I CEO, said in a release.
