Sanibel hosts annual Hurricane Seminar for community

The city of Sanibel hosted its 2018 Hurricane Seminar on April 5 for residents and businesses.

Held at BIG ARTS Sanibel Island, approximately 100 people turned out to hear from city officials about actions taken before, during and after Hurricane Irma, along with plans for the upcoming storm season. Following presentations by each department head, a question-and-answer session was held.

Hurricane season is recognized as June 1 through Nov. 30. This year, national forecasters are anticipating a storm season with "slightly above-average activity," according to a recent report.

Drs. Philip Klotzbach and Michael M. Bell, with Colorado State University's Tropical Meteorology Project, are predicting 14 named storms for the Atlantic basin, with seven of those reaching hurricane-level strength. Three are anticipated to become "major" hurricanes - a Category 3 storm or higher.

"There's a vast hurricane history in Florida," Dave Roberts, the city's weather consultant, said.

On average, the island gets one direct hit - landfall within 60 miles - every nine years.

Typically, the most active hurricane months are listed in order of September, August, October and November. With the peak of season recognized as Sept. 10, he noted that they can happen any time.