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U.S. Census Bureau Facts for Features: 2015 Hurricane Season Begins

August 25, 2015 4:30 PM EDT

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The North Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and lasts through Nov. 30. The U.S. Census Bureau produces timely local statistics that are critical to emergency planning, preparedness and recovery efforts. The growth in population of coastal areas illustrates the importance of emergency planning and preparedness for areas that are more susceptible to inclement weather conditions. The Census Bureau's rich, local economic and demographic statistics from the American Community Survey gives communities a detailed look at neighborhood-level statistics for real-time emergency planning for the nation's growing coastal population.

Emergency planners and community leaders can better assess the needs of coastal populations using Census Bureau statistics. This edition of Facts for Features highlights the number of people living in areas that could be most affected by these dramatic acts of nature. The statistics in the Emergency Preparedness section of this Facts for Features are released jointly with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The number of types of weather-related events — hurricanes and tropical storms, wildfires, flood outlook areas, disaster declaration areas and winter storms — that the Census Bureau's OnTheMap for Emergency Management tool tracks. OnTheMap for Emergency Management provides reports on the workforce and population for current natural hazard and emergency related events. Source: OnTheMap for Emergency Managementhttp://onthemap.ces.census.gov/em.html

10 The number of years since the U.S. was struck by a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher). The last one was Hurricane Wilma in October 2005 over Southwest Florida.Source: NOAA's National Hurricane Centerhttp://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/history/

In the Hurricane's Path

6 The number of hurricanes during the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season. Source: NOAA's National Hurricane Centerhttp://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2014atlan.shtml

185 The number of coastline counties along the Atlantic (129 counties) and Gulf of Mexico (56 counties) most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes. Source: Census Bureau Emergency Preparedness http://www.census.gov/newsroom/emergencies/additional/additional_information_on_coastal_areas.html

58,662,907  Population as of July 1, 2014, of coastline counties stretching from Maine to Texas.Source: 2014 Population Estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html

591,821 Collective land area in square miles of the states stretching from North Carolina to Texas. The states include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.Source: 2010 Census http://www.census.gov/geo/reference/state-area.html

84.2 million Population as of July 1, 2014, of coastal states stretching from North Carolina to Texas — the areas most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes. An estimated 26.4 percent of the nation's population live in these states.Source: 2014 Population Estimates http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2014/PEPANNRES

1.9 million The number of business establishments in 2013 in the coastal states (including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas). There were 29,454,363 paid workers in these establishments. Source: 2013 County Business Patterns County Business Patterns only include employer establishments (i.e., establishments with paid employees). Nonemployer establishments (i.e., establishments without paid employees) are not included in these totals.http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2013/00A1/0400000US01|0400000US12|0400000US13|0400000US22|0400000US28|0400000US37|0400000US45|0400000US48/naics~00

Emergency Preparedness

Statistics Released Jointly with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 

51.5% The percentage of U.S. homes that have a prepared emergency evacuation kit. The level of preparedness varies by metro area, with about 70 percent of households in the Miami and Tampa, Fla., metro areas having emergency supplies readily available in the event of an evacuation. The Austin (Texas), Chicago and Minneapolis metro areas had among the lowest rate of homes with an emergency preparedness kit.Source: 2013 American Housing Survey http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-61.html

54.3% The percentage of U.S. homes that have an emergency water supply. Source: 2013 American Housing Survey http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-61.html

82.0% The percentage of occupied housing units that have enough nonperishable emergency food to sustain everyone for three days.  Source: 2013 American Housing Survey http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/AHS/2013/S06AO

69.7%  The percentage of homes that said they would likely stay with relatives or friends during a two-week evacuation to a safe place that was at least 50 miles away. This was followed by staying at a hotel or motel (18.1 percent) or public shelter (4.1 percent).   Source: 2013 American Housing Survey http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/AHS/2013/S06AO

18.3%  The percentage of single-family homes (excluding manufactured/mobile homes) that have a generator. Source: 2013 American Housing Survey http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-61.html

48.4%  The percentage of U.S. homes with at least one pet. Of the 56 million homes with a pet, 26.8 percent need help evacuating or sheltering pets while 72.6 percent do not need assistance.  Source: 2013 American Housing Survey http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-61.html

77.5%  The percentage of occupied housing units that have a house or building number clearly visible.  Source: 2013 American Housing Survey http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/AHS/2013/S06AO

History of Hurricane Naming Conventions

Ana The name of the first Atlantic storm of 2015. Hurricane names rotate in a six-year cycle with the 2015 list being a repeat of the 2009 names. Source: NOAA's National Hurricane Centerhttp://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml

78 The number of Atlantic hurricane and tropical cyclone names officially retired by the World Meteorological Organization. Although hurricane names are recycled every six years, for reasons of sensitivity, hurricanes and tropical storms that were so deadly and costly that re-use of the name would be considered inappropriate are retired.Source: NOAA's National Hurricane Center  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames_history.shtml

1950 The year the Weather Bureau officially began naming hurricanes.Source: NOAA's Atlantic Oceanography and Meteorological Laboratory http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/J6.html

2005 In one of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, 28 named storms formed, forcing use of the alternate Greek alphabet scheme for the first time. When the National Hurricane Center's list of 21 approved names runs out for the year, hurricanes are named after Greek letters. Of the 28 named storms in 2005, 15 were hurricanes in which seven were major (Category 3 or higher). Four hurricanes reached Category 5 status (Emily, Katrina, Rita and Wilma).Source: NOAA's Atlantic Oceanography and Meteorological Laboratory http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/J6.html

2013  Despite preseason forecasts for an active hurricane season, that year had the fewest Atlantic hurricanes since 1982. While the year had a slightly above-average number of named storms (14), only 2 of these storms became hurricanes. For the first time since 1994, no hurricane reached major hurricane strength (Category 3 or higher). No hurricanes and only one tropical storm, Andrea, made landfall in the U.S., causing one fatality.   Source: NOAA's National Hurricane Center http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/summary_atlc_2013.pdf http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/J6.html For 2014 summary see: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/summary_atlc_2014.pdf

10 Years Ago

Aug. 29, 2015, marks the 10-year anniversary of one of the most devastating hurricanes on record — Hurricane Katrina. The Census Bureau will compile a list of statistics looking at the 10-year timeline of states and cities affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita (Sept. 24, 2015) and Wilma (Oct. 24, 2005).

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau's Facts for Features series:

African-American History Month (February)

Back to School (August)

Super Bowl

Labor Day

Valentine's Day (Feb. 14)

Grandparents Day

Women's History Month (March)

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)

Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/

Unmarried and Single Americans Week

  St. Patrick's Day (March 17)

Halloween (Oct. 31)

Earth Day (April 22)

American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May)

   (November)

Older Americans Month (May)

Veterans Day (Nov. 11)

Mother's Day

Thanksgiving Day

Hurricane Season Begins (June 1)

The Holiday Season (December)

Father's Day

The Fourth of July (July 4)

Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act (July 26)

Editor's note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines.

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SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau



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