2024 Hurricane Season NOAA Update

NOAA Says "Above Normal" Hurricane Season





The NOAA hurricane prediction for an above normal season has some Texans worried. Learn what's driving the forecast and how you can get ready.
Texans are no strangers to hurricane seasons but according to NOAA, this season could be above normal. Learn what to look out for to stay safe.




June in Texas not only means the start of summer but also the official start of hurricane season. NOAA released its 2024 Hurricane season forecast back on May 23. Like other hurricane forecasts we covered earlier, NOAA is forcasting an 85% chance of an above-normal season. And given summer temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, "above-normal" is not an exaggeration.





  • 17 to 25 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher)
  • 8 to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher)
  • 4 to 7 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher)




Why Will This Hurricane Season be "Above Normal"





NOAA explains the following factors can help create the kind of summer conditions that produce active Atlantic hurricane seasons.





  1. Weaker trade winds coming off the coast of Africa. 
  2. Weaker vertical wind shear off west Africa, stretching westwards.
  3. An above-average West African monsoon. These systems produce African easterly waves that carry enough heat and churn up air currents to seed tropical storm systems.
  4. Near record warmer than normal sea surface temperatures (SSTs) across the Main Development Region (MDR). That is, the area stretching from west Africa to the Caribbean. 
  5. NOAA expects a La Niña to emerge sometime this summer (possibly late-July). La Niñas tend to reinforce conditions that spawn tropical storms and hurricanes.




Does NOAA Predict Hurricanes Will Hit Texas This Summer?





The Houston derecho on May 16 left many without power for days. So, it's natural to wonder if a tropical storm will hit Texas this summer.





While there's a possibility for a tropical storm or hurricane to hit the Texas coast, there's no certainty. Nor can anyone say if it will happen or when. However, there are things that all Texas residents need to be reminded of in advance.





1.  Hurricanes in the Gulf Mean Trouble. Any time a tropical storm forms or enters the Gulf of Mexico, Texas residents should pay attention. The best way to stay informed about possible tropical storms threats is to check the National Hurricane Center. This way, you can see the disturbances that NOAA forecasters are tracking. Tropical storms in the Gulf also threaten to shut down off shore oil and gas platforms. Such shut downs can raise the price of the natural gas used to generate electricity. That can ultimately increase your electricity rates. So, if you haven't locked in at least a 12 month cheap electricity rate, do it now.





2. Storm Surges Endanger Coastal Areas.  High winds in front of a hurricane blow very high ocean tides towards land. Sea level rise since 2000 has pushed the average height of storm surge in the Gulf to over 20 feet. Elevations along much the Gulf coastline are barely more than 10 feet above sea level. If you live in such an area, always be ready to evacuate in land.





3. Flooding is the Biggest Inland Danger.  During tropical storms, rain-swollen streams and creeks can grow into river over a mile wide. And all that water can wash out bridges and entire roadways. Flood water is a powerful force and it only takes one to two feet of water to float a car. Nearly half of all drowning deaths during storms resulted from people driving vehicles into flooded areas and getting washed away. So, if you see a flooded road ahead of you, turn around, don't drown.





4. Be Ready for Your Power to Go Out.  High winds can still cause enormous damage especially to trees and power lines. As many in Houston have already seen this spring, recovering from natural disasters can take days or even weeks. Sheltering in place may be worth trying for a while. However, it can be extremely dangerous for the very young, the elderly, or for people with chronic illness. In that case, be prepared to evacuate to a safe location away from the storm.





As always, it only takes one storm to create a disaster. The most important thing to do is to make a plan for keeping your family safe. Be sure to check https://www.texaselectricityratings.com again this summer for more information as the season progresses.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are Texas Bitcoin Mines Really Raising Electric Rates?

Image
Will Texas Bitcoin Mines Hurt Power Customers? Stripped down cheap computers packed onto racks in warehouses are what powers Texas Bitcoin mines. The problem is that's a lot of electric demand and it might drive up your Texas electricity bills. Texas is known as one of the most business-friendly states in the US. So, when China kicked out cryptocurrency miners in May 2021, they all flocked to Texas. Crypto miners use thousands of stripped down home computers running 24/7 usually in one room. So, they use massive amounts of energy. So many crypto miners operate in Texas that within a few years they will use almost as much power as Houston. Bitcoin is the best known of all cryptocurrencies. Texas Bitcoin mines that draw massive power amounts daily is concerning since ERCOT had trouble meeting demand this summer. However, ERCOT is working with crypto miners to better meet peak demand in the future.  Sweet Deal For Texas Bitcoin Mines Crypto mines run 24 hours per day using rooms of
Read more

CenterPoint Says Sorry, Offers to Forego $110 Million

Image
Will You Forgive After CenterPoint Says Sorry? CenterPoint says sorry but will their customers forgive the utility? Learn what the utility plans to improve. Could affect your Houston power bills? CenterPoint Energy is in damage control mode after its poor response to Hurricane Beryl. The company’s fleet of mobile generators went mostly unused, leaving 2.3 million Houston customers without power. Clearly, Texas power users are upset and rightly so. In response, CenterPoint says it's sorry and promises to make things right. What Happened During Beryl? Hurricane damage is nothing new to this part of the state. But, in July 2024, Hurricane Beryl caused major damage to Houston’s power grid. The outages lasted days for some customers. Most thought the grid was prepared for Beryl. But it wasn’t. And everyday people suffered.  Despite leasing $800 million worth of mobile generators , CenterPoint failed to deploy them during the storm. This left many without power. Afterwards, people wo
Read more

State Senators Investigate Texas Energy Fund After Applicant Fraud

Image
Will the Texas Energy Fund Work? Seriously? The Texas Energy Fund was set up to boost power to the electric grid. But then a company lied on its application to cash in. Now, angry lawmakers are taking a closer look into the PUCT's vetting processes. The Texas Energy Fund (TEF) was supposed to be a safe bet for boosting the state's power grid. But recent events have raised serious doubts about how secure it really is. Some now worry the fund might be as risky as handing over the keys to a 16-year-old for a long, costly joyride. Propping up new Texas power projects must be in good hands. But the TEF is off to a rocky start.  The Texas Energy Fund Comes Under Fire The TEF offers grants and low-interest loans to add dispatchable power to the Texas grid. The logic is that Texas will have more power making capacity in the future. Plus, these power plants can get the juice flowing in a jiffy. But not all projects can receive a loan or grant. Solar, wind, and battery projects don’t qu
Read more