Hurricane Preparedness Week: Looking ahead to the 2023 storm season

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Most long-range outlooks for the 2023 Hurricane Season feature near-normal storm activity across the Atlantic Basin. The 30-year average is 14 total named storms including seven hurricanes and three major (Cat. 3+) hurricanes.

“For the first time in three years, the Pacific is likely to shift out of La Nina,” noted First Alert Chief Meteorologist Gannon Medwick. “Warmer El Nino Pacific phases tend to produce weather patterns that disrupt hurricane formation on the Atlantic side. That’s a big reason why most of the long-range forecasters aren’t cranking out big 2023 numbers.”

Nevertheless, Medwick and the First Alert Weather Team advise vigilance and preparedness for the Hurricane Season, which officially runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

“A little help from the Pacific would be great, no doubt, but the Atlantic still seems primed for at least a handful of storms,” said Medwick. “And all it takes is one: one bad storm... where we live... to make all the difference. Every Hurricane Season deserves respect.”

You can learn more in the video above this story.

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