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Officials Forecast Up To 16 Named Storms This Hurricane Season
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Friday marks the beginning of the 2018 hurricane season, which stretches from June 1 to Nov. 30, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This year, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center forecasts a 40 percent chance of a normal season, and a 35 percent chance of an above-normal season. June 1 is the official start of hurricane season. GPB Savannah's Cindy Hill tells us what forecasters are predicting this year.
The odds of a below-normal season came in at 25 percent.
The rain that fell across North Georgia this week came from Subtropical Storm Alberto, which made landfall Monday in Florida's panhandle but never reached hurricane status. A storm is named at 39 mph winds, and becomes a hurricane at 74 mph.
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This year, NOAA officials are forecasting a 70 percent likelihood of 10 to 16 named storms, of which five to nine could become hurricanes, including one to four major hurricanes (which hit winds of 111 mph or higher).
An average hurricane season produces 12 named storms, of which six become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.
NOAA has also released the Atlantic storm names that will be in use this season: Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sara, Tony, Valerie and William make up the year’s rotation.
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