The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a 60 percent chance of an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season this year, although it does not anticipate the historic level of storm activity seen in 2020, reports Independent Commodity Intelligence Services.
This is certainly not good news for the Gulf Coast industrial market, which is still reeling in some regards from logistical constraints, winter storms and 2020’s busy hurricane season. Also, the threat of a major storm could disrupt oil and natural gas supplies since companies often evacuate U.S. Gulf platforms as a precaution. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
For 2021, forecasters are predicting 13-20 named storms with winds of 39 miles/hour (63 km/hour). Of those, 6-10 could become major hurricanes with winds of 74 miles/hour or higher, including 3-5 major hurricanes with winds of 111 miles/hour or higher. See the full story.
