Hurricane season is here - are you ready?
Digital Insurance
Independent reporting on insurance's digital transformation and the insurtech startup community.
While hurricane season officially started on June 1, it has been relatively quiet so far, despite predictions to the contrary. However, the most active part of the season generally falls between mid-August to mid-October. The busiest hurricane season in terms of total storms was in 2020, when there were 30, which included 14 hurricanes with seven of them turning into major hurricanes. Damages for that year were $52.1 billion. In 2005, there were 28 named storms, with seven becoming major hurricanes.?
Record-setting ocean temperatures could play a large role in the formation of storms this year. These temperatures, combined with an anticipated La Ni?a pattern, could make it easier for storms to form and could push them toward the U.S. rather than out to sea. A look back at 2004, when Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne formed over just a few weeks showed that a seemingly quiet season can rapidly turn active. This week, we look at the impacts from some past hurricanes, how carriers and their customers can prepare, and technology’s role in predicting the weather.