The National Weather Service (NWS) predicted an active hurricane season. While the Gulf Coast hasn’t experienced any major hurricanes so far, meteorologists don’t want people to let their guard down.
“It's not time to let your guard down,” NWS meteorologist Jack Cullen told 1819 News. “There's still a long way to go. Still have your plan. Make sure you have your supplies just in case one of these systems does make it into the Gulf.”
Hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30.
Cullen works with the NWS office covering Mobile and Pensacola. He monitors conditions along the coast and said right now is the peak of hurricane season.
There are currently a couple of active systems in the Atlantic and a third could soon be named.
“So it's very active as you'd expect this time of year,” Cullen said. “Now, people locally think it's not active because there's nothing in the Gulf, but that doesn't mean [we won’t see anything]. We've still got a long way to go in hurricane season.”
This year, Cullen said the weather pattern has caused several hurricanes, mostly coming off the coast of Africa, to turn off to sea before hitting land.
The NWS receives information from the National Hurricane Center. Typically, meteorologists at the NWS office in Mobile can start monitoring disturbances days in advance. However, there are times when systems develop rapidly, and there isn’t much time to prepare.
“That's why we say, ‘Let's always be prepared and have your plan in place,” Cullen said.
Meteorologists say no matter how late in the season we are, anything is possible. Many people remember Hurricane Sally in September of 2020, but Hurricane Zeta occurred that same year. Zeta was a late-season Category 3 hurricane. Although Zeta made landfall in Louisiana, the storm brought winds as high as 90 mph at the NWS Mobile office.
Officials recommend that residents know where their evacuation areas are and know where major roadways are and how to access them in case of an evacuation.
Cullen recommends that people along the Gulf Coast be ready and stay ready.
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