The 2019 Hurricane Season Begins: What You Need To Be Ready

HOUSTON — Hurricane season begins this weekend, and if you have not prepared for the possibility of a big storm, experts are saying its better late than not at all.

In fact, 2019 has already seen the first named storm, with Subtropical Storm Andrea forming in the Atlantic in May, only to quickly fizzle out without impacting the United States coastline.

But how soon will it be before coastal communities in the Atlantic or the Gulf Coast are bracing for Barry, Chantal, or Dorian?

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The hurricane season runs from June 1 until November 30, with a spike in hurricanes and tropical storms usually happening in September.

In September 2017, Hurricane Irma impacted the Florida coast and was followed by Hurricane Maria, which destroyed areas of Puerto Rico.

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So what do you need to do to be prepared for the potentially big storm? The state of Texas Comptrollers office offers a tax-free weekend for emergency supplies in April, and while that is long passed, there are always specials or sales for supplies going on at area building supply outlets, hardware stores, or department stores.

Some of the items you should always have on hand include:

• An emergency plan
• Bottled water
• Batteries
• candles/flashlights
• A NOAA radio, or radio for emergencies
• Canned goods or non-perishable foods
• A safe for important documents
• An app to monitor the weather

Researchers are predicting 13 named storms during the upcoming hurricane season. Five storms this season are predicted to become hurricanes and two to reach major hurricane strength, which is classified as Category 3 to Category 5.

"It takes only one storm near you to make this an active season," cautioned Michael Bell, associate professor in the CSU Department of Atmospheric Science.

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