The National Hurricane Center is keeping an eye on two potential areas of interest in the Atlantic and the eastern Caribbean Sea but expect no storms to form in the next five days.

As Labor Day approaches so does the most historically active weeks of hurricane season. The storms that have broken records for lives lost, damage cost and destruction spread have all rolled ashore after Aug. 15.

“We are moving into the peak of the season and we’re starting to see more areas of potential formation,” said Caitlin Ford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mobile.  “We always want to remind people to stay alert, have a plan, and make sure they are prepared.”

The National Hurricane Center continues to predict a more active than usual storm season with 14 to 21 named storms. So far two tropical storms (Bonnie and Colin) have formed. Bonnie moved across Central America and Colin was near the Carolina coast.

Forecasters say the number of storms is unimportant. What matters is being prepared for the one storm that hits.

“The main thing we really do want to remind people is it only takes one hurricane for it to be a bad season,” Ford said.

To learn more about hurricane preparedness, read Gulf Coast Media's Stay Alert 2022 preparedness guide, or visit National Hurricane Preparedness | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (noaa.gov).