2020 has thrown many curveballs our way, and this year’s hurricane season was no exception. The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season has ended with a record breaking 30 named storms and 12 US landfalls. This year’s storm season quickly exhausted the 21 names on the Atlantic named storm list; for the second time in history the Greek Alphabet was utilized – all the way through Iota. 13 of these storms grew into hurricanes, and six developed into major hurricanes. For comparison, the average season has six hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
This hurricane season 12 storms made landfall, leaving a wake of destruction in their paths. With an estimated $16 billion in damage caused, Hurricane Laura was the strongest hurricane to make landfall this season. Laura is tied for the fifth-strongest hurricane to make landfall in the US. The Category 4 storm battered Louisiana with 150 mph winds in late August. Just six weeks later, southwest Louisiana faced the wrath of Category 2 Hurricane Delta in nearly the same location. Delta contributed an additional $4 billion of damage. This storm season has caused an estimated $37 billion in damage, the eighth costliest in history. Central America got pounded by Hurricane Eta and Iota, which together caused tens of billions of dollars in damage across Nicaragua and Honduras.
2020 is the fifth consecutive year of above average hurricane activity. According to official IHPA partner Professor David Dilley of Global Weather Oscillations, 2021 will bring fewer storms but more damage due to landfalls in more densely populated areas.
In an active season, hurricane protection can protect your home or building from destruction and can be the difference between life and death. Hurricane protection limits damage to window and door openings caused by debris and high speed winds. They also protect your structure from depressurization which can cause a total collapse. The IHPA endorses the testing and approval of legitimate hurricane systems to minimize the loss of life and destruction of property associated with a hurricane.