Hurricane Season May Be Getting Longer | SERVPRO® of Washington County

7/9/2021 (Permalink)

If a hurricane or tropical storm threaten your home or business, SERVPRO of Washington County is here to help restore property damage.

It’s OK to say it—life on the coast is pretty good. Here in Rhode Island, traveling along Route 1 can unlock a lifetime’s worth of beachfront exploration and beauty.

With some 40 miles of coastline, Rhode Island’s coastal appeal is nearly off the charts, whether you’re surfing in Narragansett or spending a day with the family at Newport Beach.

But this time of year, we do have to worry about the occasional weather threat, including the dreaded H-word. And that threat isn’t going anywhere soon; in fact, it’s increasing.

The last 10 years have seen an increase in the number of Atlantic cyclonic storm activity, with 2020 setting a record of 30 storms, so many that the we ran through the alphabet and started using Greek letters to name them.

Now scientists are debating whether hurricane season should officially be lengthened. Rising ocean temperatures are bringing us more hurricanes, and increasing the length of active potential time for hurricanes to form.

Whether because of climate change or some other reason, the NOAA has been forced to consider extending the official hurricane season, used to bring awareness and extra monitoring of the Atlantic storms, adding two weeks to the front of it, making the new start May 15 instead of June 1.

Though this year’s season will begin at the usual time, the NOAA did begin providing its normal Tropical Weather Outlooks sooner.

The cause for the potential change is simple—storms are coming sooner. In the last decade, there have been 10 official storms in the Atlantic that have formed prior to the traditional start date of hurricane season, and eight of them occurred since 2015.

Whether or not hurricane season is extended, the bottom line for Rhode Islanders is that we should always be watchful in the warmer months, and be fully prepared for storms to come, as it’s clear the frequency and intensity of storms are not decreasing.

When hurricanes and tropical storms threaten your home or business, SERVPRO is here to help restore property damage. Click or call today to get the peace of mind that comes with having the best team in the industry on your side.