Hurricane Season 2014: What El Niño Means for Storm Preparations

From flying into Category 5 hurricanes to tracking sharks for clues on the relationship between ocean temperatures and storm development, WESH 2 First Alert Weather team’s chief meteorologist, Tony Mainolfi, doesn’t shy away from taking opportunities that give him a better understanding of hurricanes. Tony’s passion for delivering highly accurate forecasts to Central Florida residents makes him the perfect person to tell Florida Home readers what to expect this hurricane season, including the implications of the developing El Niño.
“History tells us that El Niño reduces the overall number of storms,” Tony explains before clarifying that this doesn’t mean we’re off the hook. Although we may expect a milder hurricane season, we still need to stay informed. “Hurricane season 1992 was an El Niño year with only one hurricane developing, but that hurricane—Andrew—was a category 5.” That is why Tony urges Central Florida residents to focus not upon the number of storms expected in a season, but those that are headed towards them: “You always need to be prepared for that one storm that can come your way, regardless of what the numbers are saying.
“Now is the time to prepare,” Tony advises, highlighting the ease with which Florida homeowners can do so with www.WESH.com. “Our website is a great resource where you can learn more about every aspect of hurricane preparations.” What’s more, the information on www.WESH.com is unique to each county, telling you exactly what you’ll need and where to go. With WESH’s extensive knowledge, Central Florida homeowners can feel confident in their hurricane preparedness.
Preparing for hurricanes ahead of time can help in adapting for forecast changes as they approach. Tony reveals a new measure of protection against the most deadly component of a hurricane: the storm surge. Thanks to improvements in hurricane forecasting, the hurricane center will be providing the public with storm surge forecasts, giving residents an idea of the surge’s intensity and depth to better guide them to safety.
With WESH staying ahead of the continuing innovations in hurricane tracking, they’ve become the go-to source for weather forecasts and preparedness. WESH’s range of tools, from their hurricane tracker app to the comprehensive information on www.WESH.com, allows Central Florida residents to easily stay updated and prepared for hurricane season, year after year.