June 1 marked the start of the 2016 hurricane season, and with the earliest “C” storm on record, it’s made for an active start to this year’s storm season.
Though Tropical Storm Colin may be the earliest “C” storm on record, it doesn’t necessarily mean that hurricane season will be a wild — or calm — ride just yet.
Colin, currently spinning out to sea after drenching Florida, is only the third “C” storm to ever form in June. Not only that, but it’s also the earliest, beating out Hurricane Chris, which formed on June 18 in 2012, and bumping Tropical Storm Candy to third place with a start date of June 23, 1968.
The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory says early activity has little bearing on the season as a whole, but that doesn’t mean anyone should slack on preparation.
In normal circumstances a roof should be inspected once or twice annually, but come hurricane season, battering down the hatches is more important than ever.
It’s that time of year when communities need to prepare themselves for hurricane season, and with such an active start, it’s no surprise that people are worried.
More than 40% of businesses don’t open back up after sustaining damage from a hurricane or tropical storm, and over 90% fail within the first two years back in business.
Incorporating an emergency preparedness plan may not only save homes, but it could save businesses as well. Knowing the vulnerabilities of one’s business is the first step in preparing for emergencies, large and small.
Though an active start to the season does not necessarily mean that the rest of the year will be overwhelmed by storms, it’s still important to be prepared for anything.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season will be “near-normal,” with four to eight hurricanes occurring between June 1 and November 30.
So few storms form early in the year that there’s simply not enough data to draw conclusions, the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory said.