The hurricane season in the US has started and will last until the end of November.
Researchers have identified more than 300 counties along the East Coast that are most vulnerable to destructive storms.
The data showed that the worst spots are Florida’s Broward and Palm Beach counties.
All but one of the ten most hurricane-prone counties are in Florida, North Carolina, or South Carolina—the only exception being Chatham County, Georgia.
Scientists have predicted that the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season will be “above normal” with up to 21 named storms, half of which could become hurricanes with winds of 74 miles per hour or more.
While California is ravaged by Tropical Storm Hilary, a direct strike from a storm is exceedingly rare there — perhaps once a century, according to data.
Since 1900, only three still tropical storms have hit California.
The analysis also found that Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina have been hit or impacted by four Category 5 hurricanes in the past 10 years between 2013 and 2022.
Researchers have identified more than 300 counties along the East Coast that are most vulnerable to destructive storms
FOX40 meteorologist Adan Epstein said, “The California Current is an ocean current that brings cold water from the Gulf of Alaska to the California coast.
“This keeps our water temperatures below 55-75 degrees year round.
‘Hurricanes get their energy from warm water of at least 80 degrees. They cannot physically maintain their structure and strength when moving over cold water.’
The new analysis, conducted by Gutter Gnomecomes as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) monitors three current storms — Franklin, Gert and Emily — in the Atlantic Ocean that could turn into hurricanes.
The official hurricane season for the Atlantic basin is June 1 to November 30, but tropical cyclone activity sometimes occurs before and after these dates
The Atlantic basin has had an active start to the hurricane season with five storms already reaching at least tropical storm strength, including one hurricane.
An average hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of which become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.
Gutter Gnome collaborated with researchers from Pennsylvania State University, NOAA and Louisiana State University for this analysis.
The team used three categories to determine the rankings: risk, hurricane history, and financial impact.
“For every 318 U.S. counties with a hurricane risk score determined by the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP), we then collected data on each factor from the sources below,” the company shared in a blog post.
Broward County in Florida was the most vulnerable with a score of 72.70. Hurricane Irma hit the region in 2017, clocking in as Category 5 with winds of 117 miles per hour and forcing at least six million Floridians to evacuate
Florida’s Palm Beach County ranks second with a score of 72.09. Hurricane Ian tore through Palm Beach County in September 2022, leaving more than 2.7 million residents without power
Finally, we calculated the scores (out of 100 points) for each province to determine the ranking in each factor, each category, and overall.
‘The overall score of a province is the average of the scores on all factors and categories.
The highest overall score was ‘most vulnerable’ (No. 1) and the lowest ‘least vulnerable’ (No. 318).’
Broward County in Florida was the most vulnerable with a score of 72.70.
This region is located in the southeastern part of Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area and is the second most populous country after the Miami-Dade country.
Hurricane Irma hit the region in 2017, clocking in as Category 5 with winds of 117 miles per hour and forcing at least six million Floridians to evacuate.
About 129 direct and indirect deaths were caused by Hurricane Irma, and $50 billion in damage was left behind, making it the fifth costliest hurricane to hit the continental US.
Florida’s Palm Beach County ranks second with a score of 72.09.
Stretching from Florida’s Atlantic coast to the state’s rural center, the region includes the northern edge of Everglades National Park — and has experienced 98 hurricanes since 1930.
Hurricane Ian swept through Palm Beach County in September 2022, leaving more than 2.7 million residents without power.
The storm brought winds of 150 miles per hour and up to seven inches of rain fell in some areas.
South Carolina’s Charleston County was found to be the third most vulnerable county in the US.
Charleston County is located on the Atlantic coast and received an overall score of 68.17.
Much of New England and the Texas coast are the quietest regions. Hurricanes are generally rare in these areas and therefore carry a low risk of physical and financial damage
This region has been hit by several devastating events, most notably Hurricane Hugo in 1989, which killed 67 people and left $11 billion in damage.
When the hurricane made landfall in the county, it unleashed winds of 140 miles per hour and came in as a Category 4 storm.
Horry County, South Carolina came in fourth, followed by Miami-Dade County, Florida.
The Sunshine State could also be called the hurricane state, as two counties, Broward and Palm Beach, occupy the two worst spots for hurricane risk. It’s also no surprise that the Southeast has the highest vulnerability to hurricanes, our ranking confirms,” Gutter Gnome shares.
In fact, the 10 percent most susceptible counties are made up almost entirely of just three states: Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Chatham County, Georgia (No. 8) and Harris County, Texas (No. 13), are the only exceptions in this group.
Conversely, much of New England and coastal Texas are the quietest regions. Hurricanes are generally rare in these areas and therefore have a low risk of physical and financial damage.”
The analysis also found that Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina have been hit or affected by four Category 5 hurricanes in the past 10 years between 2013 and 2022.
Honolulu County, Hawaii (number 53 overall), is the only Pacific county in our ranking to record the most hurricane activity, with 12 in the last 10 years.
In this region, hurricanes — as tropical cyclones are known on the Atlantic coast — are called “typhoons.” They are the same weather phenomenon.