ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season is predicted to be above average for the 7th year in a row, according to Colorado State University researchers, reports the Washington Post.
There are signs that this year’s season will be busier than last year’s, including a lack of El Niño and warmer sea surface temperatures. The researchers say there will be 19 named storms, compared to a recent average of 14.4.
Last year’s season produced 21 named stores, and although the researchers predict less named storms this year, they believe there will be a more active season this year in terms of metrics that consider storm intensity and duration.
“The team predicts that 2022 hurricane activity will be about 130% of the average season from 1991-2020. By comparison, 2021’s hurricane activity was about 120% of the average season,” said the outlook produced by the researchers.
The outlook predicts a 71% chance that a major hurricane will make landfall in the U.S.—a major hurricane has sustained winds of 111 mph or more. The risk of a major hurricane along the East and Gulf coasts and in the Caribbean is substantially elevated, compared with the 1990 to 2020 average, the outlook said.
Craig Fugate, former administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Obama Administration, shared in NACS Magazine that the pandemic has added another layer to emergency preparation.
“Especially in this time of COVID-19, retailers are pressed for time, but not preparing for a hurricane or other natural disaster will put them at a distinct disadvantage and will hamper their ability to re-open quickly.”
Fugate headlined a NACS webinar on how to plan and prepare for emergencies and how to use the NACS Convenience Store Emergency Planning and Job Aids. The resource is designed to help convenience retailers quickly and efficiently determine the best course of action for their teams to plan for an emergency and resume operations quickly and safely.
For more emergency planning resources, NACS Magazine articles and Convenience Matters podcast episodes, check out NACS’ Disaster and Emergency Preparedness topics page.