Below Average Hurricane Season in 2015

The Caribbean Region can breathe a little easier as we approach the 2015 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

The Hurricane Season starts on June 1 and ends on November 30.

The 2015 predictions released today (April 9) by Drs. William Gray and Phillip Klotzbach indicates that we can expect a below average season with seven named storms, three Hurricanes and one major Hurricane of Categories 3, 4 or 5.

The release from the renowned scientists states, "We anticipate that the 2015 Atlantic basin hurricane season will be one of the least active seasons since the middle of the 20th century".

It continued, "It appears quite likely that an El Niño of at least moderate strength will develop this summer and fall and the tropical and subtropical Atlantic are also quite cool at present".

According to the Gray/Klotzbach prediction, we can anticipate a below-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the United States coastline and in the Caribbean.

Despite the forecast for below-average activity, residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season for them.

Residents are therefore advised to prepare the same for every season, regardless of how much activity is predicted.

The 2015 Hurricane names are Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika, Fred, Grace, Henri, Ida, Joaquin, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas, Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor, Wanda

The team did not release their predictions at the Hurricane Conference indicating that they wanted to factor in data obtained during the month of March in their analysis.

The 2015 Hurricane Conference can be described as having been very successful. The 2016 National Hurricane Conference will be held in the Florida city of Orlando in March.

Cecil Shillingford, Disaster Management Consultant