PrepareToday!

Prepare Early for this Year's Tornadoes and Hurricanes.
The potential for extreme weather is quite high this year. Hurricane season officially started June 1st, but don't tell Mother Nature. It got an early start this year when both tropical storms Alberto and Beryl launched in May. This is only the third time we've had two named storms before June 1 since records have been kept.

Recently, Colorado State University raised its predictions for the number of named storms for the 2012 hurricane season.

• Increased the number of tropical storms forecasted by 30%, from ten to thirteen;
• Raised the number of predicted hurricanes (with sustained winds of 74 mph or above) to five;
• Expects at least two major hurricanes (Category 3, 4, or 5 with winds above 100 mph);
• The probability of one major hurricane making a direct hit on any part of the U.S. coastline is nearly 50%;

Early confirmation of this forecast seems ominous. Over the Memorial Day weekend, tropical storm Beryl slammed into the East Coast and caused a ruckus:

• It damaged houses and businesses in North Charleston, North Carolina;
• Lowland flooding occurred near Wilmington, North Carolina;
• Power went out all over North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida;
• It also caused more flooding in Florida: 12.65 inches of rain dropped near Tallahassee;
• Beryl closed down Jacksonville International airport, closed bridges, and cancelled garbage collection services;

Mind you, Beryl wasn't a major hurricane with 100 miles per hour (mph) or greater winds; it was a "weaker" tropical storm with winds around 55 mph.

Considering this early tropical storm, even the federal government has been reminding people to prepare for the hurricane season.

As a self-reliant person, being ready is second nature, prudent, and common sense. However, if you don't think you're properly prepared for emergencies, I have a couple of easy suggestions for you to look into.

What's Driving This Hurricane Season?

According to historical climatologist and consultant Evelyn Browning-Garriss, it's heat, heat, and more heat.

We have a very hot Atlantic, as hot in May as it is during mid-July. The temperature is hotter than normal, and starting earlier than normal, too. It's not just the Atlantic, the Pacific is more active than normal, too. This is the first time both Pacific and Atlantic tropical storms are starting before the season officially begins.

She does not blame global warming. Instead, the Earth's natural rhythms are the cause of warmer climates and wind patterns that affect our regional weather.

We are in the tail end of two-year-long La Nina. At the same time the world's weather is affected by two long-term climate trends: the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (a 20-year cycle), and the Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation (an 80-year cycle in which we're in the 40 year warm-up phase). All these moving parts work together to help warm the waters and the land – and affect the storms around the U.S. They make weather prediction tricky.

More Tornadoes across America as Well

Tornado season can last all year long. Normally, during the winter tornado weather starts in the gulf and then moves north as spring progresses through the continental U.S. and warms the ground.

This season we've seen high temperatures throughout the U.S. and warm unfrozen ground have created ideal conditions for low-lying thunder storms that can lead to tornadoes.

According to the National Climatic Data Center, the U.S. has already broken more than 6,000 heat records. Browning-Garriss says the U.S. has broken all tornado records with 319 reported. For instance, March typically has around 80 tornadoes, but this year there was 160 in a single outbreak. There was even a tornado in Hawaii!

Another unique situation, storms have been developing further eastward, due to La Nina. Tornadoes have hit unexpected and unprepared places, like when eight twisters landed on Michigan early in the year.

Be Prepared and Have a Plan!

• Be aware of your risks. You can track hurricanes through the National Hurricane Center.
• Set up a family communication plan, says FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. Lessons learned from last year's Joplin tornado revealed that cell phones are more effective for sending texts rather than calls. And, the Internet is a fast way to communicate with many people at once.
• Power typically goes out during severe weather. Have access to generators, battery powered devices, extra batteries, and even battery-operated cell phone chargers.
• Pre-plan your options. Know your surroundings and create a plan (including back-up plans) with your family. This way you know your next steps even if you can't reach anyone by phone.
• Have a supply of long shelf-life Emergency Food. It doesn't have to be expensive, and every home should have some.
• Have a bug-out bag with essential supplies! This way you can grab it and go in a sudden evacuation. Folks often get little advanced notice.

No one can pinpoint where a severe storm will hit. Referring to Hurricane Irene last year, Fugate said in a CNN report, "If you live along the Gulf Coast, the Atlantic, and as far inland as the folks in Vermont found out last year, you need to be prepared."