Increased Hurricane Risk

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has released a prediction for an increased risk of above normal hurricane activity. That’s mainly due to the end of El Nino conditions.

We are well into the season and it’s been pretty mild so far. In fact, there’s nothing in the short term forecast to indicate hurricane formation. I am going to trust NOAA on this one though. We could get some heavy duty weather at the end of the season. That’s happened in the past. Don’t drop your guard due to it being fairly mild so far.

People who live in hurricane areas should already be aware of this. It’s people like me who try to plan trips down south who get caught flat footed. August through October is considered the peak hurricane season. Of course, it’s possible to get nasty hurricanes even at the end of December.

I’m planning a sailing trip around the third week of October so it could be interesting. That’s where being flexible will come in handy. There are contingencies lined up just in case things get lively. There is no sense launching a boat in front of a hurricane. Sailing right after a hurricane is not a good idea either, with the loss of navigational aids, marina destruction, debris in the water, shoaling and everything else.

My big advantage over bigger boats is that mine can easily be loaded up on a trailer and hauled out of harm’s way.

-Sixbears