Experts Predicting Stronger Than Usual Hurricane Season For Texas

You might remember the big rainstorm we got a couple of weeks back here in Amarillo.

It was one of the more interesting storms we'd seen in awhile too. It wasn't like it just dumped some rain, then headed out of town so we could dry out. Well, at least not where I live.

When it began, it was that hard and heavy rain just dumping buckets on us. It stopped, then about 15 minutes later it kicked up again. This time, pea size hail hammering down from the sky. That finishes up, surely we have to be finished right?

Wrong. All of a sudden, crazy wind starts blowing, tree branches are getting snapped off, and a monsoon takes place. All of this within an hour.

It may have been a precursor to some weather Texas may see for the next couple of months, and it's not exactly weather we're used to.

HURRICANES IN TEXAS

NOAA has predicted that Texas could be very vulnerable to hurricanes this year, and we're entering the prime season for them as we speak.

Now, are we going to get a hurricane all the way up here in Amarillo? No, we aren't. However, we could very well deal with weather related to a hurricane should it land in Texas. The reach of a hurricane is bigger than just the eye.

As it grows, it can span across the state and level us with some very heavy rainfall. I remember living in Austin when Hurricane Katrina hit. We got nailed with an unusual amount of rain because of it.

WHY WE COULD SEE MORE HURRICANES

Typically, you see the majority of hurricanes happen around Florida and surrounding states there. They also like to form towards the countries and islands south of Florida. It's not overly often one forms inside the Gulf of Mexico and hits Texas with gusto.

This year is different though. We've already dealt with the devastation of Hurricane Beryl, and it may not stop there. NOAA forecasters are saying that portions of the Texas coastline are among the most vulnerable to hurricane landfalls in the world.

WHAT WOULD CAUSE US TO SEE MORE THIS YEAR THAN PREVIOUS YEARS

It seems that conditions are ripe for Texas to be hit more often than usual with them. Several factors are playing into the predictions of more hurricanes this season.

Rising sea levels is one of them. These make us more vulnerable to them as there is more water for the hurricane to gain strength from.

Climate change recently is another one. Let's not forget Amarillo just went through a two week stretch where we were threatening heat records nearly every day.

La Nina always plays a factor in hurricane season, and we are in the midst of La Nina right now. More importantly, La Nina conditions are more conducive to the Atlantic Ocean than anywhere else.

We've also seen near-record ocean temperatures, and with the warmer water leads to better conditions for hurricanes to form. It's always when the water is warmer which is why you RARELY see them form in the Pacific Ocean.

SOMETHING THAT COULD HELP LESSEN THE THREAT

There is ONE thing that could allow us to not be hit as hard as we could, and that's the presence of the Atlantic Nina. It's rarely ever talked about, but referred to as basically the cousin to La Nina.

Atlantic Nina actually helps cool down the water a bit, and that's been needed this year with those aforementioned near-record temps in the water. It was a surprise to see Atlantic Nina form because it typically stays away until things start to cool a bit.

It's not to say that there won't be more hurricane chances because Atlantic Nina has surfaced, because they're still expecting it to be a bit more active than usual, but the presence of Atlantic Nina could very well help the severity of them or how much they form.