Above Average Hurricane Season Predicted for New York

The summer season has many things on the plus side, and a few on the negative side. One of those negative things is the hurricane season, which begins on June 1st, through November 30th, 2024.

While our corner of the Southern Tier of New York and Northeast Pennsylvania don't get direct hits from hurricanes, as you know, we often get the remnants that have caused minor to major flooding in our area.

The worst I experienced was in 1972 when the remnants of Hurricane Agnes struck our area. I lived in the Corning area, which was one of the hardest-hit communities during that storm. The Greater Binghamton area has experienced several major floods, most recently in 2006 and 2011, as you will remember if you were here during those years.

Read More: Remember These Local Amusement Parks From The Past?

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has made its prediction for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, and it's not on the lighter side. According to a report on the NOAA website, they predict an 85% chance of an above-normal season, a 10% chance of a near-normal season, and a 5% chance of a below-normal season.

Get our free mobile app

Well, that's not what we were hoping for. What did NOAA take into account when coming up with these percentages?  They consider a number of factors including "near-record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, development of La Nina conditions in the Pacific, reduced Atlantic trade winds and less wind shear, all of which tend to favor tropical storm formation."

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season could experience anywhere from 17 to 25  named storms with winds no less than 39 mph. NOAA notes that between 8 and 13 of those storms could have winds of at least 74 mph, designating them as hurricane status.
4 to 7 storms are predicted to become category 3,4 or 5 hurricanes which begin with 111 mph and higher.

Keep in mind, that not all hurricanes make landfall. There is a lot more to learn about hurricane season, and how to be prepared for safety. Get more information by visiting the NOAA website.