Americas braced for another “above average” hurricane season

Published on Thu, 30/06/2022 - 11:43

The 2022 hurricane season is expected to produce 14-21 tropical storms and six to 10 classified as hurricanes (category three or higher), according to catastrophe risk experts at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) and Allianz Re.

That would continue the trend in recent years of beating the 1991-2020 average, with 2021 the third most active season on record delivering 21 named storms, of which seven were hurricanes. Last year was also the third costliest after 2017 and 2005.

Mabé Villar Vega, AGCS Catastrophe Risk Research Analyst, said: “The main factors contributing to an above-average hurricane season in 2021 included La Niña, above-normal sea surface temperatures (SSTs) early in the season, and above-average West African Monsoon rainfall.”

AGCS has published its Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook 2022, and advises businesses in exposed areas to regularly update their emergency plan, covering areas such as training, assembling emergency supplies, business continuity, buildings inspections, anchoring or relocating equipment and stock, and protecting windows.

“Businesses need to prepare themselves for the prospect of another above-average hurricane season this year,” said Thomas Varney, Head of Risk Consulting, North America at AGCS.

“Obviously, windstorms cannot be prevented from occurring. However, loss can be greatly minimized by adequate preparation before a storm arrives. The development and implementation of a comprehensive windstorm emergency plan should be a number one priority for those companies who don’t already have this in place.”