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handle is hein.crs/govefvv0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional
a   Research Service
2022 Hurricane Outlooks and 2021 Hurricane
Season Review
May 31, 2022
Many in Congress have expressed interest in increasing scientific understanding of tropical cyclones and
improving forecasts to help their constituents prepare for the yearly hurricane season and potentially
decrease a storm's impact on an individual or community. The Department of Commerce's National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is responsible for issuing tropical cyclone forecasts,
including track, intensity, storm surge, and rainfall.
NOAA defines a tropical cyclone as a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that
originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has a closed low-level circulation. According to
NOAA, tropical cyclones include
 Tropical depressions-maximum sustained winds of < 38 miles per hour (mph).
  Tropical storms-maximum sustained winds of 39-73 mph. NOAA typically names a
storm once it reaches this strength.
 Hurricanes-maximum sustained winds of > 74 mph, corresponding to at least a category
1 or 2 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Hurricanes may also be called
typhoons or cyclones.
  Major hurricanes-maximum sustained winds of >111 mph, corresponding to a category
3, 4, or 5.
NOAA releases seasonal hurricane outlooks relevant to the United States, including the north Atlantic,
eastern Pacific, and central Pacific Oceans, before each hurricane season begins. Such outlooks include
information on potential named storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes. The Atlantic and central Pacific
seasons run from June 1 through November 30; the eastern Pacific season begins May 15. Tropical
cyclones, however, may form outside of these time frames. In August, NOAA typically updates the
Atlantic outlook but not the Pacific outlooks. Multiple nonfederal entities also publish outlooks. These
forecasts rely, in part, on NOAA's collected and shared information.
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports. congress.gov
IN11941
CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress