Three Ways Funders Can Plan Now For Above-Normal Hurricane Season

With the kickoff of hurricane season on June 1, forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center say the Atlantic could see another above-normal hurricane season this year. Here is a snapshot of their predictions for the season that runs through the end of November:

• 45% of an above-normal season
• 70% likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms
• 5 to 9 of which could become hurricanes
• 2 to 4 of which could be major hurricanes (Category 3, 4, or 5)

NOAA predictions also included the eastern Pacific and central Pacific hurricane basins.

• An 80% chance of near or above-normal season is predicted for each region.
• Central Pacific model predicts 5 to 8 tropical cyclones including tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes.
• Eastern Pacific prediction model:
  • 14 to 30 named storms
  • 6 to 11 of those becoming hurricanes
  • Including 3 to 7 major hurricanes

So what’s a funder to DO?

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare – If you live in a coastal area, ensure that your continuity of operations plans (COOP) are up to date, your communications strategies are current, your plan for engaging internal and external stakeholders is in place, and you know how and when to reach out to your existing grantees to offer them support and guidance.
2. Update your disaster grantmaking plan – If you don’t have a plan for how to allocate grants before, during, or after a disaster, draft one. Know what dollars are available to grant to hurricane preparedness or recovery activities, and have an eye for which organizations you would likely support in case of a disaster. CDP is happy to help you develop your plans.
3. Call the Center for Disaster Philanthropy – The team at CDP would welcome a conversation around effective hurricane philanthropy. We can help you identify grantees, craft a grantmaking strategy, provide you with timely and relevant disaster information, and support you and your community before, during, and after a major storm hits.