With severe rains expected over the next few days due to Tropical Storm Beta, Victoria facilities and schools have closed for the day with all eyes on the weather for what has already become a record-breaking hurricane season.

Just two days ago on September 18, 2020, three Atlantic named storms had formed with Wilford, Alpha, and Beta. The only other time on record that the Atlantic had 3 named storm formations on the same calendar day was August 15, 1893.

We've already delved into the Greek alphabet names our tropical storms, which hasn't occurred since 2005. Still, with more than two months left until the end of the Atlantic hurricane season, 2020 could very well pass 2005 in the number of named storms easily.

So far in 2020, the weather has produced 23 named storms. We're only four away from a new record, and we still have now through November to complete our average hurricane season.

If we get past the Greek name Epsilon, we'll break new records as well. Wikipedia offers, Hurricane Epsilon was the final of fifteen hurricanes within the record-breaking 2005 hurricane season.

According to CNN, "Already this year is far ahead of pace compared to the 2005 season. In 2005, Tropical Storm Alpha was named October 22. In 2020, Alpha was named on September 18th, nearly five weeks earlier than the 2005 storm of the same name.

Texas A&M University storm expert Robert Korty, associate professor in atmospheric sciences offers, “This year we had an early start, with 13 named storms already. Several of them were short-lived and weak, but that is a record-breaking launch into the heart of the season,” Korty said. Texas’ situation may be a bit different, Korty says in a recent Texas A&M Today newsletter publication you can read here. “Texas is usually most vulnerable during the first half of the season – from June to September,” he said. “By later in the autumn, upper-level winds are more likely to be out of the west, which tends to steer any tropical storms east of us.”

Will that be the case for the 2020 season? NOAA released their second forecast for the season after activity continued at a record-breaking pace, further predicting 19 to 25 named storms, 7 to 11 hurricanes, and this is particularly alarming 3 to 6 major hurricanes. This is, according to NOAA, " One of the most active forecasts ever released by NOAA for an Atlantic hurricane season."

Now is an ideal time to ask yourself if you are prepared if the weather continues.

  • What does your insurance policy say about hurricane damage?
  • Do you have flood damage in your policy?
  • What is your evacuation plan?
  • Do you have a hurricane emergency kit?
  • What is your plan for your pet?
  • What about your family medications?

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