Last year was certainly a huge challenge for Floridians as the hurricane season hit at full force with 18 named storms. The 2019 hurricane season matched the year 1969 for the fourth most active season in the last 150 years.
However, after 2018's Hurricane Michael and 2017's Hurricane Irma, Florida avoided the mega-storm Hurricane Dorian which devastated a large part of the Bahamas. Yet, although the major storm didn't affect Florida, except the beach erosion and flooding in Florida's east coast, this year's season was still psychologically challenging for Floridians.
Specialists faced a major challenge in preparing Floridians to react in case Hurricane Dorian reached them. As the Category-4 storm was a few days away, the authorities were torn between telling Floridians to prepare for the natural disaster and the risk of causing panic among the population for no reason. However, as the forecast was extremely worrying, the authorities were forced to warn Floridians to be prepared for the Category 4-plus impact.
Although there were no reports of direct fatalities from natural disasters this year, the season is considered more active than normal considering the number of storms it has seen and the total energy produced by these events.
Summary of the events
The official Hurricane season in 2019 was expected to start on the first of June and last until November 30 covering areas including the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. However, the season started just a little bit earlier last year at the end of May which made 2019 the 5th consecutive year that started with a tropical or subtropical storm before the official start of the hurricane season.
The 2019 hurricane season started with the subtropical storm named Andrea. And, only one month later, the second subtropical storm named Barry began to form and put Floridians at risk again. Eventually, the Barry storm intensified as it reached over warm gulf waters in the Gulf of Mexico and strengthened to become a Category 1 hurricane.
The middle of July and most of August didn't see any storm and were mainly quiet leaving Floridians some time to relax. During this period, there was only one named tropical storm called Chantal but it remained out of the sea and didn't threaten Florida in any way.
However, by the end of August, the hurricane season started to intensify as the Atlantic suddenly became active again. Therefore, on 24 of August, the tropical wave that formed in the Central Atlantic was classified as a Tropical Depression and later developed into a tropical storm. The storm was later that day named Dorian and continued to strengthen until it was classified as a Category 1 hurricane. Although Hurricane Dorian caused damages mainly in the Bahamas and only the east coast of Florida, Floridians experienced a major alert that led to the mandatory evacuation of the area.
During the period including early September and mid-October, nine more storms formed, with different strengths from weak to tropical storms which developed into major hurricanes. However, none of these systems did represent a threat to Floridians.
Yet, the hurricane season did not end without a major storm that actually produced some damages in Florida. On the 18th of October, tropical storm Nestor started to form in the Gulf of Mexico and was the only storm that affected Florida. From widespread rainfall accumulations to minor storm surge flooding, Florida experienced the damages of a tropical storm.
The 2020 hurricane season
Every year, before the official beginning of the Hurricane season, specialists make forecasts of hurricane activity. On the 19th of December last year, the specialists from Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) predicted that the 2020 hurricane season will be slightly above-average hurricane season.
The public organization forecasted 15 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes in the Atlantic. TSR also indicated the names, which are currently unused, that will be used for the named storms that are predicted to happen in 2020. Therefore, it seems that specialists believe that this year won't give Florida a break after last year's busy hurricane season. Yet, like any other weather event, forecasts predicting hurricanes so many months in advance lack precision.
Hurricane preparedness
Whether you live in Florida or in another area prone to natural disasters such as hurricanes, it is imperative to be prepared when the natural disaster strikes.
Hurricanes often begin as an innocuous-looking cluster of clouds and thunderstorms that start to form across the Atlantic more than 4000 miles away from Florida. So, why should you worry about that, right? However, if you live in a hurricane-prone area, you definitely know by now that the small cluster of clouds and thunderstorms can grow into a major disaster just like it happened with the Dorian Hurricane last year.
So, how can you prepare in advance for a hurricane? Start by insuring your home in advance in case a future hurricane will lead to damages to your property. Florida hurricane insurance can offer financial support for the costs of the reparations of your home in case the tropical storm wipes out everything in its way.
Next, you must always be prepared in case of mandatory evacuations if told so by the authorities. Keep copies of all important documents, money, and an emergency supply kit in a vehicle-friendly disaster kit, keep your vehicle fuel tank filled and be prepared to evacuate the area without worrying about other personal belongings.
Also, it is essential to keep a survival kit in your home in case you are told by the authorities to stay inside for multiple hours or even days. The survival kit should include non-perishable food, water, medicines, and other supplies such as pet food, batteries, flashlights, and infant formula if you have a baby.
Of course it is impossible to determine precisely what this year's hurricane season will bring. However, considering the loss trends, it is expected that there will continue to be larger and costlier events in Florida during the hurricane season. Therefore, Floridians must be prepared for this year's season in case it will continue to be more active than normal.
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