Hurricane Season is now upon us! Make sure you have your emergency kit together. Keep in mind that freshwater flooding (rainfall) is the largest killer related to hurricanes, but if you live close to a body of water near the coast keep in mind that storm surge should also factor in your emergency plan. For a list of materials to include in your kit, go to: http://www.weather.gov/os/hurricane/resources/TropicalCyclones11.pdf

Remember, this season is expected to be above average with high probabilities of landfalls in the US Gulf Coast and East Coast.

There has been a lot of buzz about the upcoming hurricane season being busy. Based on the El Nino pattern we are coming out of a La Nina and entering a neutral period. Historically, this has been a leading indicator for a busy Atlantic Basin season. The official forecasts for this season support this with calls for a VERY busy hurricane season.

Keep in mind that while the season will be busy, last year was the 3rd busiest on record but people on the mainland US would not have realized that. This is because not a single Tropical Storm or worse made landfall in the US last year. Moreso, it has been 6 years since a major hurricane made landfall on the Gulf Coast and 7 years since the East Coast saw a major hurricane.

For the latest forecasts:

Dr. Grey: http://hurricane.atmos.colostate.edu/Forecasts/

Climate Prediction Center: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/outlooks/hurricane.shtml