NOAA Predicts 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season Includes Texas
With coastal waters lapping at the eastern portion of the Lone Star State, a question comes to mind: exactly how do hurricanes affect Texas and its people? If a hurricane lands as far south as Brownsville, or as far north as Port Arthur, what effect will that have on the rest of the state?
While cities like Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Victoria, and Conroe might experience the most brutal effects, all Texans have to be aware of the dangers a hurricane can bring. For hundreds of years, Texas has dealt with hurricanes and the destruction they cause. The first-known recorded coastal storm in Texas occurred in 1527 at Matagorda Bay.
The National Weather Service Office out of San Angelo recently shared its prediction for the 2023/2024 hurricane season. Okay Texans, according to the forecasters with the Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service, we can breathe a little easier. Near-normal hurricane activity is predicted in the Atlantic this year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) outlook for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, predicts a 40% chance of a near-normal season, a 30% chance of an above-normal season, and a 30% chance of a below-normal season.
A total of 12 to 17 total "named storms" (with winds of 39 mph or higher) have been forecast. The National Weather Service has shared the names of those possibly forthcoming storms, and they are:
The 2023 Hurricane Name List has been Updated
The following is a list of storms that have hit the Texas coast as far back as 1980. While these hurricanes and tropical storms damaged a lot of property, they also claimed a lot of Texans' lives.