There’s a time of every year that Floridians absolutely dread: Hurricane Season.

Every year from June 1st through November 30th, Florida and Gulf Coast residents are on alert for these destructive and devastating storms. Since my move to Florida in 2000, I’ve seen my share of tropical storms and even a couple of hurricanes. I’m happy to say that I haven’t suffered any losses, but the day to day and a half long storms can be pretty terrifying when they get close. People all around the country, and I used to be one of them before I moved here, look at photos of approaching storms and think to themselves, “Wow, that’s quite a bit of stormy looking stuff heading in.” They look at photos of subsequent damage and think to themselves, “Thank God I don’t live there!” In either case, not another thought is given and life moves on.

For those of us who live in the Gulf Coast states and along the southeastern coast of the U.S., here’s some of the latest 2010 Hurricane Season forecasting information.

First of all, as most know, hurricane names are recycled every six years. This year’s list has some minor changes from 2004, as several names have been retired.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released the following hurricane forecast for 2010:

NOAA goes on to forecast the following:

The outlook ranges exceed the seasonal average of 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes. Expected factors supporting this outlook are:

• Upper atmospheric winds conducive for storms. Wind shear, which can tear apart storms, will be weaker since El Niño in the eastern Pacific has dissipated. Strong wind shear helped suppress storm development during the 2009 hurricane season.
• Warm Atlantic Ocean water. Sea surface temperatures are expected to remain above average where storms often develop and move across the Atlantic. Record warm temperatures – up to four degrees Fahrenheit above average – are now present in this region.
• High activity era continues. Since 1995, the tropical multi-decadal signal has brought favorable ocean and atmospheric conditions in sync, leading to more active hurricane seasons. Eight of the last 15 seasons rank in the top ten for the most named storms with 2005 in first place with 28 named storms.

If you live in a hurricane-prone area, be sure to keep tabs on what’s going on with your weather. If you get the Weather Channel, or if your local cable company has a 24-hour news station, check the extended forecasts for any potential storms. I believe that the Weather Channel has a tropical update at :48 of every hour during hurricane season – the local BayNews9 has their tropical update at :49 of every hour. If there are any indications that a storm is developing, pay attention to the information given.

I could also go into a whole other list about the causes of hurricanes and what the effects of the oil spill in the Gulf will have on hurricanes and vice versa. While the oil spill is a huge concern for all Gulf Coast communities, this particular post is more about hurricane preparedness. Whether there is global warming or an oil spill or a dog ate someone’s homework is almost irrelevant. Hurricanes will happen anyway.

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