The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1 and runs through November 30 each year. Although the peak of the season is usually during August – October, preparation is strongly advised at all times no matter how many storms are forecast. For example, Andrew, a Category 5 hurricane, roared ashore to devastate South Florida on August 24, 1992, a year in which only seven named storms occurred for the season.
According to the National Hurricane Center, the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season featured near normal activity in terms of the number of named storms and hurricanes but was slightly below average in terms of the number of major hurricanes. In 2022, fourteen named storms formed, of which eight became hurricanes, and two became major hurricanes — category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. This compares to the long-term (1991-2020) averages of 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. In terms of Accumulated Cyclone Energy(ACE), which measures the strength and duration of tropical storms and hurricanes, activity in the basin in 2022 was slightly below average. The ACE for 2022 is 80 percent of the long-term (1991-2020) mean.1
It’s important to keep in mind that the effects of a hurricane or tropical storm can be felt for hundreds of miles inland, not just along the coast. For example, inland flooding can be a huge concern, even if you are not physically located in a flood zone. Additionally, tornadoes are frequently spawned from hurricanes and tropical storms making landfall, so precautions are needed to protect structures and personnel from these events as well.
Download our hurricane response and action plan at the bottom of the page to learn how to protect your employees and your business in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm, including:
Willis Towers Watson has teams of highly qualified experts specializing in disciplines that provide solutions to issues that are critical to our clients. Our National Property Claims and Forensic Accounting & Complex Claims (FACC) practice include: certified public accountants, forensic accountants, property claim consultants, certified fraud examiners, project managers, FEMA experts, and engineering and construction consultants, with colleagues residing in multiple offices around the world.
The senior leaders of the National Property Claims and FACC teams have worked on some of the most challenging and complex insurance claims resulting from some of the world’s largest catastrophes and disasters, such as Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina, and the more recent Hurricanes Ian, Harvey, Irma and Maria. These teams have been successful in quantifying and recovering billions of dollars on behalf of clients.
1 National Hurricane Center, Monthly Atlantic Tropical Weather Summary
| Title | File Type | File Size |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane preparedness and action plan | 1.4 MB | |
| Forensic Accounting & Complex Claims Hurricane Preparedness | 1.2 MB |
