2021 VA Hurricane Season Start, Claudette To Pass Off MidAtlantic

VIRGINIA — Virginia, DC and the rest of the East Coast should prepare for an above-normal hurricane season with what is now tropical depression Claudette expected to pass well offshore along the Mid-Atlantic states on Monday.

While this Atlantic hurricane season isn't expected to be as active as last year's record-breaking season, it is expected to be above normal for the number of storms that churn across the ocean, national experts said Thursday. Residents should get financial documents ready before a storm is headed to the state and have plans in place for severe weather.

For this hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30, the National Weather Service is predicting 13 to 20 named storms with top winds of 39 mph, six to 10 hurricanes with top winds of 75 mph, and three to five major hurricanes with top winds of 111 mph, said Matthew Rosencrans, hurricane season outlook lead at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

The first storm to take a swing up part of the East Coast this summer is Tropical Storm Claudette, which dumped heavy rain across the U.S. Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida as it chugged inland Saturday, triggering flash floods and tornado warnings along its soggy course across the Southeast.

Related: 2021 Hurricane Season Names: From Ana And Bill To Sam And Wanda

Claudette accelerated east-northeastward Sunday and the center of the cyclone should be near the coast of North Carolina Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center forecast said. The storm should pass well offshore the Mid-Atlantic coast Monday afternoon and Monday night.

As it moves off the Carolinas Monday, Claudette is likely to regain tropical storm strength, the NHC said.

Tropical storm conditions are possible in northeastern South Carolina Sunday night and Monday, where a tropical storm watch is in effect.

2021 Hurricane Season Forecasts

"Last year was our most active hurricane season in 170 years," U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves said in May during the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's outlook for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.

NOAA said there is a 60 percent chance that 2021 will be an above-normal hurricane season.

For this hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, the National Weather Service is predicting 13 to 20 named storms with top winds of 39 mph, six to 10 hurricanes with top winds of 75 mph, and three to five major hurricanes with top winds of 111 mph, said Matthew Rosencrans, hurricane season outlook lead at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

The average for major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5) remains unchanged at three. The previous Atlantic storm averages were 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

In April, hurricane researchers at Colorado State University predicted an "above average" year, citing the absence of El Niño. Subtropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures are much warmer than average, which favors an active 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, the scientists said.

The CSU Tropical Meteorology Project team predicts 17 named storms during the Atlantic hurricane season. Of those, researchers expect eight to become hurricanes and four to reach major hurricane strength (Saffir/Simpson category 3-4-5) with sustained winds of 111 miles per hour or more.

Hurricane Preparation Tips

Residents should perform the following safety precautions before a storm heads toward coastal Virginia and the DC region:

• Sign up for alerts and warnings from your county and state, as well as NOAA Weather Radio https://www.weather.gov/nwr/
• Make a plan - visit https://www.ready.gov/plan
• Coastal Virginians should learn their evacuation zone now and make a plan to prepare their home and business at KnowYourZoneVA.org.
• Save for a rainy day - visit https://www.ready.gov/financial-preparedness
• Practice emergency drills both at home and at the office
• Make and test a family communications plan

* Designate a central contact number with a family member or trusted friend, perhaps out of town * Text messages will go through when voice lines are overloaded

• Assemble or update emergency supplies - visit https://www.ready.gov/kit (includes CDC recommendations)
• Safeguard valuable documents both physically and digitally
• Visit DCR.virginia.gov/vfris to learn the flood risk for your home and business.• Contact an insurance agent or call the National Flood Insurance Program at 888.379.9531 or visit Floodsmart.gov purchase a flood insurance policy. Remember, it takes 30 days for a flood insurance policy to take effect.
• All Virginians should store critical documentation in a safe place, documenting the condition of their property before damages occur with a camera or smartphone, purchasing emergency preparedness items to sustain your family for days or weeks after a disaster, and by making a family communication plan. Visit VAemergency.gov/hurricanes to learn more.
• Get involved in your community - take an emergency course, volunteer, request a preparedness presentation.
• Safeguard valuable documents both physically and digitally
• Residents readying for the upcoming season can get tips and advice on the federal government's Ready.gov website.
• To keep up with potential storms during hurricane season, bookmark the National Hurricane Center's website. For local weather and severe weather alerts, visit the National Weather Service online.

Virginia Hurricane History

In September 2019, Tropical Storm Dorian caused flooding to coastal areas of the Commonwealth and some evacuations.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management reminded Commonwealth residents that hurricanes can affect much of the state. On Aug. 19, 1969, Hurricane Camille hit the state overnight and caused massive inland flooding and mudslides that killed 153 people. The storm remains Virginia's deadliest natural disaster 50 years later, the agency said.

Camille dropped 27 inches of rain — what is typically six months of precipitation — on Nelson County overnight. More than 100 bridges, roads or railways were washed away or damaged, and more than 900 buildings and structures damaged or destroyed in Virginia.

"Camille reminds us that hurricanes are a statewide threat, not just a coastal concern, as the worst damage occurred hundreds of miles inland," the agency said.