Atlantic hurricane season starts with quieter outlook
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Atlantic hurricane season begins Monday.
Why it matters: It's time to stock up on canned food, pay attention to the weather and be ready to leave if there's a threat.
The big picture: This year's Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be below average in storm activity for the first time in more than a decade, NOAA meteorologists said in their annual forecast.
Reality check: Residents should still take the season seriously and prepare now, officials stressed.
- "It's very important to understand that it only takes one," NOAA administrator Neil Jacobs told reporters.
Zoom in: Storm names this year include Dolly, Kyle, Nana and Wilfred.
What we're watching: NOAA officials previewed several technological advances they said would help local emergency officials better prepare for impacts on the ground.
- That includes the agency's Flood Inundation Mapping tool, which provides street-level visualizations of flood waters in near real time.
- The tool will cover the entire U.S. by the end of September, National Weather Service director Ken Graham said.
- The agency also updated its cone of uncertainty with color coding that shows a storm's potential inland impacts.
- NOAA also added rip current risk maps.
Zoom out: NHC began its daily tropical outlook May 15, and so far, all has been quiet in the Gulf, Caribbean and Atlantic.
- Historically, the most active period for strong storms in the Gulf and the Atlantic is August and September.
What's next: Authorities urge residents to prepare now by gathering emergency supplies and making an evacuation plan.
- Here's a list of things you should do to prepare your home before the tropics heat up.