U.S. Coast Guard Warns Peak Hurricane Season Is Here

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Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Though the Atlantic hurricane season has been relatively quiet so far, the U.S. Coast Guard warned that this year is still expected to be active in terms of storm activity.

In the Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center issued advisories on Tuesday about a low-pressure system that's formed east of the Caribbean islands, where conditions are favorable for further development. Winds are low at around 15 miles per hour, but the system could strengthen by next week.

But apart from Hurricane Beryl, which hit Texas as a Category 1 storm in early July, the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season has been relatively quiet. In early August, however, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said there's still a 90% chance of an above-normal hurricane season.

The Coast Guard, meanwhile, said peak hurricane season is usually around mid-August to late October, adding the mariners and residents in coastal areas should remain vigilant.

"The hurricane season got off to an early and violent start with Hurricane Beryl, the earliest category-5 Atlantic hurricane on record," said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad in a Coast Guard release. "NOAA's update to the hurricane seasonal outlook is an important reminder that the peak of hurricane season is right around the corner, when historically the most significant impacts from hurricanes and tropical storms tend to occur."

Hurricane season in the Atlantic lasts from June 1 to November 30.

Beryl left more than 2 million people in the greater Houston metropolitan area without power for several days after dropping some 10 inches of rain. Among the major facilities impacted by the storm, the Freeport LNG terminal lost power on July 7.

Freeport, one of the largest export terminals in the United States, can receive up to 2 billion cubic feet (Bcf/d) of natural gas.

For the weather in general, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas said about a quarter of the firms in its district experienced some sort of setback due to storm activity over the last few months.

"The most widespread impact was seen in July, largely due to Hurricane Beryl, and the most common storm effects were reduced revenue/production, extended loss of power and worker absenteeism," the Fed stated on Monday.

An executive from the machinery manufacturing sector told the Fed that their firm lost two weeks' worth of production because of power failures.

"Until the reliability of the Houston grid improves, we will be operating like a third-world country--only working when the lights are on," the respondent said.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates most of the power grid in Texas, has faced criticism for a perceived lack of reliability. ERCOT warned of peak-demand levels for June and July due to record heat.

In July, nearly half of all respondents to the Dallas Fed said they experienced extended power outages, compared to 13% in June. Heat index values across Houston should remain in the triple digits for the rest of the week.

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