Forecasters warn 2013 Atlantic hurricane season will be busy
NOAA Acting Administrator Kathryn Sullivan presents the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season outlook at a press conference in College Park, Maryland, on May 23, 2013.
Atlantic coast residents, brace yourselves. This year’s hurricane season could be particularly active thanks to above average water temperatures.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its forecast Thursday and the news for people living near the Atlantic isn’t good: 13 to 20 named storms, 7-11 that strengthen into hurricanes and 3-6 that become major hurricanes.
That compares with 19 named storms in 2012 – the third-busiest season on record – 10 of which became hurricanes and two major storms.
Storms are named when their top winds reach 39 miles per hour.
“If you live along the shorelines, this is your warning,” NOAA acting administrator Kathryn Sullivan told reporters.
Less than a year after Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of the east coast, Sullivan warned residents living inland to be prepared as well.
“As we saw first-hand with Sandy, it's important to remember that tropical storm and hurricane impacts are not limited to the coastline. Strong winds, torrential rain, flooding, and tornadoes often threaten inland areas far from where the storm first makes landfall."
The names for storms this year will be drawn from a list of 21 names, including Andrea, Barry, Chantal and Dorian.
More from GlobalPost: Hurricane Sandy (PHOTOS)
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