Hurricane season begins today – “near-normal” season expected

COLUMBUS, Mississippi (WCBI) – The 2023 hurricane season for the Atlantic basin begins today. It officially runs from June 1 to November 30th.

June 1st marks the beginning of meteorological summer. It also marks the beginning of hurricane season for the Atlantic basin.

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a near-normal season for hurricanes. A summary of its forecast is as follows:

12-17 named storms
5-9 hurricanes
1-4 major hurricanes (cat 3+

Even though north Mississippi and west Alabama aren’t on the coast, impacts can still affect these areas! Inland flooding, gusty winds, and tornadoes are the most common threats for us while coastal areas see those plus the threat of storm surge flooding & beach erosion. Coastal MS residents certainly remember the likes of Nate, Katrina, Elena, and of course Camille from 1969.

The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is forecasting a gradual transition into an El Nino pattern the fall and winter months. Typically, this reduces the likelihood of seeing lots and lots of named storms in the Atlantic basin. However, even with a near-normal season predicted, major hurricane landfalls can still happen. It only takes one storm to cause significant damage to life and property.

The first name on the 2023 list is Arlene. As a reminder, a backup list of names will be used in place of the Greek Alphabet if the entire 2023 list is used.