NOAA Releases New "Active" Hurricane Forecast

SOMERDALE, N.J., June 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting another active hurricane season in its just-released annual forecast.

NOAA anticipates the 2011 hurricane season for the Atlantic basin will have 12 to 18 named storms, six to eight hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes.

NOAA considers June 1 to Nov. 30 as hurricane season. It categorizes storms as winds of 39 mph or higher, hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, and major hurricanes  (Category 3, 4 or 5) with winds of 111 mph or higher.

"The United States was fortunate last year," said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "Winds steered most of the season's tropical storms and all hurricanes away from our coastlines. However, we can't count on luck to get us through this season. We need to be prepared, especially with this above-normal outlook."

New Jersey disaster expert Dean Ragone agrees. "We dodged a hurricane season last year because of good fortune, but this should prompt us to prepare for what appears to be a more threatening than usual hurricane season this year," says Ragone, president of Somerdale, N.J.-based allRisk Property Damage Experts.

Ragone urges New Jersey residents of avail themselves to a variety of state emergency programs and plans that can help them cope with weather that could prove troublesome or even deadly.

His suggested safety sites include:

• The official website of the National Weather Service:  www.erh.noaa.gov/er/phi/
• New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) Website:   www.ready.nj.gov
• NJ Alert text messaging system:   www.njalert.gov  
• NJOEM Twitter - twitter.com/NJSP
• County Offices of Emergency Management, www.ready.nj.gov/about/association.html

"We are constantly called out during storms or hurricanes, and when we arrive to 'save the day,' it's always apparent to us that had the business or homeowners taken some basic precautions, the damage could have been minimized," says Ragone. "During this lull is when everyone should create and adhere to a disaster plan for their home. Owners and managers of business also need a disaster plan to keep their operation open.

This hurricane season could be the most active since 1995, according to Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

• For tips on disaster supply kits and storm recovery, visit http://www.allriskinc.com/disaster-tips.php.

SOURCE National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration