UAlbany Experts Advisory: Are the 2014 Hurricane Season Predictions on Target?

Researchers are predicting fewer Hurricanes for 2014, although many local and statewide governments are already making preparations in case of another 'Superstorm,' such as Sandy in 2012.

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 23, 2014) – Many experts are predicting a slightly lower than average hurricane season in the Atlantic this year. As the warmer temperatures arrive in the Northern Hemisphere, will these predictions hold true?

Atmospheric scientists at the University at Albany, who comprise one of the largest concentrations of atmospheric science researchers across the U.S., are available to discuss hurricane season, the potential threats for 2014, and how officials, families and individuals can prepare.

• Professor Chris Thorncroft studies tropical weather and climate. He specializes in the nature and variability of the West African monsoon, including the causes of droughts as well as how West African weather and climate impact hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean. Thorncroft currently serves as chair for the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences and is an expert on hurricanes.
• Assistant Professor Kristen Corbosiero studies the structure and intensity change of tropical cyclones using both observational data sets, such as aircraft reconnaissance, and lightning, and high-resolution numerical models. She is interested in understanding the physical processes responsible for the formation of hurricane rainbands and secondary eyewalls, and how tropical cyclones respond to, and evolve in, vertical wind shear. She is an expert on cloud formation, hurricanes and tropical cyclones.
• Associate Professor Paul Roundy studies waves of the tropical atmosphere and ocean and how these waves interact with one another and with atmospheric moist deep convection to modulate global weather and climate. Areas of emphasis include analysis of observations to study modulation of tropical cyclogenesis and the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) by convectively coupled waves and intra-seasonal oscillations. He can discuss weather patterns, tropical cyclone formation and prediction models.
• Dr. Edward Waltz is a research associate professor in the Department of Health Policy, Management & Behavior and Director of the Center for Public Health Preparedness and the NY-NJ Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center. He can discuss emergency preparedness, local public health services, and disaster response from an All-Hazards perspective.

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