We all know, living in Florida, that storms come in the summer that could potentially cause damage to your homes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have released its forecast for the 2021 hurricane season. They predict 13-20 named storms, of which 6-10 will become hurricanes and 3-5 of those will be major hurricanes (top winds of 111 mph or greater). This gives us a 60% chance of an above-average hurricane season, a 30% chance of a typical season, and only a 10% chance of a lower than normal season.
Forecasters predict a 60% chance of an above-normal season, a 30% chance of a near-normal season, and a 10% chance of a below-normal season. However, experts do not anticipate the historic level of storm activity seen in 2020. Last year was historic for hurricanes; we had 30 named storms, 13 of which became hurricanes and 6 of which became major hurricanes! In 2020 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast 13-19 named storms, just like this year.
How Do Hurricanes Form?
Hurricanes are formed when moist, warm air over water rises into the air high enough that it is replaced by cooler air. This causes clouds to form and eventually rotate because of the earth’s Coriolis Effect.
Hurricanes form when warm moist air over water begins to rise. The rising air is replaced by cooler air. This process continues to grow with large clouds and thunderstorms. These thunderstorms continue to grow and begin to rotate thanks to the earth’s Coriolis Effect.
When Does a Storm Get a Name?
Storms get a name when the wind speed hits 39 mph. For 2021, the names for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season are hurricane Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Elsa, Fred, Grace, Henri, Ida, Julian, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas, Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor, and Wanda.
2021 Backup Storm Names
In the past, The World Meteorological Organization made the decision to use backup names for named storms instead of Greek letters. So for this year, for the first time ever, we have a list of backup names to use if the number of named storms exceeds 24. These backup names are Hurricane Adria, Braylen, Caridad, Deshawn, Emery, Foster, Gemma, Heath, Isla, Jacobus, Kenzie, Lucio, Makayla, Nolan, Orlanda, Pax, Ronin, Sophie, Tayshaun, Viviana and Will