It has now been over 2 months since the official end of the 2022 hurricane season. One with many twists and turns, devastating outcomes, and surprises.The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season was the first season since 1997 in which no tropical cyclones formed in August, and the first season on record to do so during a La Niña year. It did however produce multiple storms which brought extensive damage to the US so let’s take a look at what happened.
Storms
In total, this hurricane season produced 14 named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater), of which eight became hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater) and two intensified to major hurricanes with winds reaching 111 mph or greater. An average hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes. This would make the season fall on the averages of ones we have seen before however certain states were hit harder than expected.
Landfalls
The 2022 season saw three hurricane landfalls along the coast of the U.S. mainland. Hurricane Ian made landfall first as a Category 4 storm in Cayo Costa, Florida, and again as a Category 1 in Georgetown, South Carolina. As a Category 4 with 150 mph maximum sustained winds, Hurricane Ian tied for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to make landfall in the U.S. Hurricane Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 in north Hutchinson Island, Florida.
Hurricane Ian was a large and destructive Category 4 Atlantic hurricane that was the deadliest hurricane to strike the state of Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. Hurricane Fiona was a large, powerful, and destructive Category 4 Atlantic hurricane which was the costliest and most intense tropical or post-tropical cyclone to hit Canada on record. Hurricane Nicole was a sprawling late-season Category 1 hurricane in November 2022. The fourteenth named storm and eighth hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season; Nicole formed as a subtropical cyclone on November 7. Only Hurricane Kate hit later in 1985. Hurricane Yankee in 1935 was the only other storm that made landfall in November in the record books.
Planning for 2023
In the Oil and Gas industry, planning for the Hurricane Season is key and should be included in all HSE and safety plans. After any hurricane or tropical storm, the goal is to return to full operations as quickly and as safely as possible. For hurricane season, the industry continues to build upon critical lessons learned from 2008’s major hurricanes, Gustav and Ike, as well as other powerful storms, such as 2005’s Katrina and Rita or 2012’s Superstorm Sandy.
For the Gulf oil and gas industry, developing storm preparation and response plans is not a quick task done at the start of hurricane season. This is a year-round process focused on ensuring the safety of the thousands of men and women who work offshore, protecting the marine environment, and securing critical American energy infrastructure. After the preparation comes the response. Once a storm has passed, operators may coordinate flights over offshore facilities to determine if there is any visible damage from the air. Once any safety concerns are addressed, assessment teams are sent to conduct extensive on-site inspections and evaluate any damages.
Onward’s HSE Advisors
Our HSE advisors aim to foster safe work relationships through diverse operational experience creating a comprehensive view while scrutinizing finer details often overlooked. Our methods uphold the core values of your safety program, not just checking boxes. They assist in the Development and implementation of DOT, OSHA, and EPA Compliant Programs, identifying and implement Safety and Environmental training needs, and many more tasks to ensure safety is at the utmost importance. If you want to contact us about HSE or regarding any of the information in our blog follow this link.