What the 2020 Hurricane Season Can Tell Us
The 2020 Hurricane season rocked the Gulf Coast states and much of the Atlantic coast, with a record-breaking 30 named storms this season. 12 storms made landfall in the continental United States, specifically in Miami, Houston, and several areas of Lousiana. Moreover, meteorologists are predicting more abnormalities like this in the coming years. So what does this mean for the precast concrete industry? The experts at Permacast Precast Concrete Fencing & Walls have some excellent thoughts about how to be prepared before next year’s massive hurricane season.
Recap: So What Happened??
The average number of hurricanes in a typical season is about 10, with six of those being large enough to name and cause varying amounts of damage and destruction. With 30 named hurricanes in 2020, forecasters had to move into the Greek alphabet just to continue naming them. Miami experienced Hurricane Eta early in the season, while Hurricane Laura wreaked havoc on the Texas coastline, moving inland to do damage to Houston. Louisiana met a record five hurricanes in one season when Cristobol, Marco, Laura, Delta and Zeta hit land there, and Hurricane Sally reminded the Florida panhandle of other recent storms.
What does this mean? Predictions for the Coming Years
The cause of this unusually active hurricane system is multi-faceted, including an over-active monsoon season in Africa, a shift from el Nino to el Nina, creating calmer air currents, and warmer Atlantic Ocean waters. Predictions have already been made for coming hurricane seasons and it’s a bit daunting. The warmer temperatures the Atlantic Ocean is experiencing currently is part of a weather cycle that tends to last 25-40 years. This particular cycle began in 1995, so we’re only just facing the beginning of that predicted time frame. With climate change and global warming becoming more and more evident, there is plenty of reason to believe that increased numbers of hurricanes and similar weather systems will be predicted in the coming years.
How we can be prepared?
Fortunately, the construction industry has come a long way over the years. Today, hurricanes, even the severe ones, don’t necessarily bring utter destruction. There are many ways to improve our levees, seawalls, and floodwalls that make them an excellent line of defense from storm surges, flooding, and falling debris that are all common effects of hurricane damage. Using a precast concrete design like Permacast will ensure that the weather-resistant defensive walls we build to protect our coastal communities and neighborhoods create peace of mind and a valid sense of security. With Permacast, the strength and the lasting ability of our walls to resist damage make our products excellent choices when it comes to hurricane protection.
Now is the time to shore up our resources and build the newest storm barricades needed to be prepared for next year’s hurricane season. As we enter a drier season, building the protective walls quickly, efficiently and solidly are important steps we should be taking to ensure a safe hurricane season in the years to come. Talk to the experts at Permacast Precast Concrete Fencing & Walls about our state-of-the-art precast concrete options. You’ll not only be amazed at our versatility, but the strength and endurance of our products are unmatched. Prepare today for what tomorrow brings and rest easy knowing you, your loved ones, and your community are protected.