Batten down the hatches
As if the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic were not enough, weather experts are predicting that the East Coast is poised to face an “unusually active” Atlantic hurricane season. The federal government, in collaboration with at-risk states such as Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, must take swift action to prepare emergency response programs that can save lives, mitigate damage and continue to protect public health.
A seasonal outlook produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicates that there is a 70% chance of 13 to 19 named storms in 2020, six to 10 of which will become hurricanes. Three to six of those could then become major hurricanes (defined as Category 3 or higher).
An average hurricane season produces just 12 named storms, typically six of which become hurricanes.
Under even the best of circumstances, these storms can cause spectacular damage. And seasons with a greater than usual number of storms can be particularly destructive. The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season — which had 17 storms, 10 hurricanes and six major hurricanes — caused nearly $295 billion in damage, destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and killed more than 3,330 people.
Now imagine the potential devastation if a similar series of storms occurred in the midst of a pandemic.
With the COVID-19 death toll moving past 109,000 in the U.S., it is clear that much of the hardship, illness and death is due to a lack of preparedness on the part of the government. The U.S. simply was not ready to handle a crisis like this.
If the U.S. is unprepared again, this time for a series of destructive and deadly hurricanes, the costs — in money and in human life — could be enormous.
Officials from NOAA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency should coordinate with the Trump administration, Congress and state governments to formulate action plans that, in the event of a hurricane, will save lives and minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19.
The U.S. and its people cannot afford to be caught off-guard by disaster yet again.