Welcome to the second “Storm Summary” post of the hurricane season.
Each Friday from now until the official end of the season (November 30) I will post an update on past and present storms, like the following:
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In another interesting development, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced the arrival of El Niño, which is “the periodic warming of central and eastern tropical Pacific waters [that] occurs on average every two to five years and typically lasts about 12 months.” Although most people think of this phenomenon in negative terms for the damage it can spur on the West Coast, it is actually beneficial to the East Coast/Gulf Coast in the sense that warmer waters in the Pacific usually create conditions that suppress Atlantic hurricanes.
Why exactly this occurs is not something I’m qualified to explain but, as I recall, it has something to do with warm and cool air mixing in a different way and creating a “wind shear” that helps prevent storms from developing. The International Research Institute for Climate and Society can probably explain it better.
NOAA breaks down some other benefits.
El Niño’s impacts depend on a variety of factors, such as intensity and extent of ocean warming, and the time of year.
Contrary to popular belief, not all effects are negative. On the positive side, El Niño can help to suppress Atlantic hurricane activity. In the United States, it typically brings beneficial winter precipitation to the arid Southwest, less wintry weather across the North, and a reduced risk of Florida wildfires.
El Niño’s negative impacts have included damaging winter storms in California and increased storminess across the southern United States. Some past El Niños have also produced severe flooding and mudslides in Central and South America, and drought in Indonesia.
Hopefully this will help keep the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season mild.
For constant, up-to-date storm information, visit NOAA. And for breaking information on the insured losses the storms create, check out the Insurance Information Institute and the Insurance Services Office.
Most importantly, don’t forget to check back next Friday for our second “Storm Summary” installment.