NOAA: Active Hurricane Season in the Pacific Poses Risk to US West Coast

Buzzline

While NOAA predicts a calmer season in the Atlantic, the agency's forecast for the Eastern and Central Pacific hurricane regions is notably more intense—posing a significant risk to the US West Coast, Hawaii, and Pacific territories. NOAA meteorologists indicate that elevated sea surface temperatures in the Pacific, coupled with a developing El Niño phenomenon, are likely to result in stronger and more frequent tropical systems across both Pacific regions this season. Hawaii, in particular, is at an increased risk, as hurricanes in the Pacific have historically been drawn towards the islands during El Niño years. Emergency management officials in Hawaii and along the coasts of California and Oregon are encouraging residents to finalize their preparedness strategies ahead of the season's peak.

Transcript

00:00While NOAA's Atlantic forecast is relatively quiet, the agency's Pacific outlook tells a very

00:05different story. And it matters directly for Americans on the West Coast, in Hawaii,

00:11and across U.S. Pacific territories. Both the eastern and central Pacific hurricane basins

00:17are forecast to see an active season, driven by warm sea surface temperatures and El Nino

00:22conditions. Here's the critical concern for Hawaii during El Nino years. Pacific storms have a well

00:29documented history of steering toward the Hawaiian islands. An active Pacific basin in an El Nino year

00:35is precisely the pattern that puts Hawaii at elevated risk. Hawaii emergency managers are

00:41urging island residents to have 72-hour emergency supply kits ready, know the evacuation zones for

00:48their community, and not rely solely on tourism infrastructure to protect them during a storm

00:54event. Active Pacific season. Hawaiian residents, pay close attention.

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