Don't Mess With Taxes

UPDATE, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024: The early forecast of a possibly historic hurricane season hasn’t, so far, come true. Thank goodness! But September statistically is the most active of the annual tropical storm season. That could be the case again, as we now have Tropical Storm Francine taking aim at the Texas and/or Louisiana Gulf Coast. These tips can help you prepare for Francine and any of the tropical systems that likely will follow, all the way to the official end of the storm season on Nov. 30.

Aug. 29, 2023, Hurricane Idalia targeted the cloud-obscured western coast of Florida, while Hurricane Franklin churned not far behind in the Atlantic Ocean. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration GOES-16 satellite image

Thousands are dealing this week with the aftermath of deadly, destructive tornadoes. Others are hunkering down as I type this afternoon in advance of more forecast severe storms.

And the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which also includes storms that form in or head into the Gulf of Mexico, hasn’t even started.

The official start of the annual tropical storm season is Saturday, June 1, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued its most aggressive hurricane season outlook ever.

Most storms ever forecast: Meteorologists with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center predict an 85 percent chance of an above-normal hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30. NOAA is forecasting 17 to 25 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher).

Of those, eight to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), with four to seven becoming major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher).

The NOAA graphic above, also available in a Spanish version, summarizes the agency’s forecast of storms and severity this season.

Reasons for the potentially severe season, says NOAA, include “near-record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, development of La Niña conditions in the Pacific, reduced Atlantic trade winds and less wind shear, all of which tend to favor tropical storm formation.”

Atmospheric scientist and Texas Tech professor Katharine Hayhoe notes on social media (X/formerly Twitter and BlueSky) that “overall, climate change isn't making hurricanes significantly more frequent, but it's making them a lot worse. Slower, stronger, intensifying faster and with a LOT more rain.”

Get ready now: With the 2024 hurricane season on the horizon, now is the time to prepare. And you need to be ready even if you don’t live on the United States’ East or Gulf coasts. Storms move inland, dropping, as Hayhoe noted, prodigious amounts of rain that too often turns into deadly flooding.

My special Storm Warnings page on preparing for natural disasters has suggestions on how to get ready for hurricanes and other types of Mother Nature madness. Specifically, my post last August as that year’s hurricane season was heating up has details on financial and tax preparations, as well as the physical storm steps, including for family members who are older or have special needs, as well as your pets, that you need to take now.

Also, you need to make sure you are able to get the latest accurate storm news and warnings as soon as possible.

Make sure you get the word: When emergencies strike, public safety officials use timely and reliable systems to alert you. Here are some of the commonly used warning alerts.

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations that broadcast continuous weather information from the nearest National Weather Service (NWS) office based on your physical location. NWR broadcasts official warnings, watches, forecasts, and other hazard information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) app allows you to receive real-time weather and emergency alerts, as well as obtain a variety of other storm or disaster related information. With the FEMA app, you can

• Receive real-time weather and emergency alerts from the NWS for up to five locations nationwide. 
• Find a nearby shelter if you need to evacuate to a safe space.
• Find out if your location is eligible for FEMA assistance, find Disaster Recovery Center locations, and get answers to your most pressing questions.

Television station weather apps also can keep you apprised of your more local conditions.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are short emergency alerts authorities can send to any WEA-enabled mobile device in a locally targeted area. Alerting authorities authorized to send WEAs include state, local, tribal, and territorial public safety officials, as well as the National Weather Service.

WEAs are sent through FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. They look like text messages, but are designed to get your attention with a unique sound and vibration repeated twice. WEAs are not affected by network congestion and will not disrupt texts, calls or in-progress data sessions. You are not charged for receiving WEAs, and there is no need to subscribe.

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national public warning system that allows the president to address the nation within 10 minutes during a national emergency. Other authorized federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial alerting authorities may also use the system to deliver important emergency information such as weather information, imminent threats, and local incident information targeted to specific areas.

The EAS is delivered through broadcast TV and radio, satellite digital audio services, direct broadcast satellite providers, cable television systems, and wireless cable systems.

It just takes one: Finally, take all alerts seriously. Don’t dismiss a system that’s “just” a tropical storm. Some the worst damage comes from these seemingly less intense systems that drop excessive rain along coastlines and inland.

Once a system reaches tropical storm and/or hurricane status, it will get one of this year’s names, shown in the NOAA graphic below.

The above alphabetical list, which also is available in a Spanish version, shows the 2024 Atlantic tropical cyclone names as selected by the World Meteorological Organization.

Remember, too, that regardless of whether the actual number of storms meets, falls short of, or exceeds NOAA’s forecast numbers, it only takes one. So be ready.

"Severe weather and emergencies can happen at any moment, which is why individuals and communities need to be prepared today," said FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik A. Hooks. "Already, we are seeing storms move across the country that can bring additional hazards like tornadoes, flooding and hail. Taking a proactive approach to our increasingly challenging climate landscape today can make a difference in how people can recover tomorrow."

You also might find these posts on taxes and major disasters of interest:

• Picking up the pieces after a major disaster (after Tennessee info)
• Document your property for tax, insurance claims before storms hit
• Retirement plan tax rules when using the savings to recover from a disaster
• IRS and other government resources can help you deal with a natural disaster
• Storm Warnings: Preparing for, recovering from, and helping those affected by natural disasters

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