Well, we aren't far off from Hurricane Season, are we? I wonder what it's going to be like this year!

PICS OF DAY
Movies Coming Soon (w/trailers)

Click for more JustWeather.com

Site | Web | As Seen On

Homepage / Orlando Weather

Story
Related

Text Size

NOAA: 9 To 14 Tropical Storms This Season

1 To 3 Likely To Be Major Storm

RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer

POSTED: Thursday, May 21, 2009

UPDATED: 2:45 pm EDT May 21, 2009

WASHINGTON -- Hurricanes will strike the United States this season and Americans must be prepared, federal forecasters said Thursday. They predicted nine to 14 named tropical storms this year.

Current projections call for a near normal year for hurricanes, Gerry Bell, lead Atlantic hurricane forecaster for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said at a briefing. The named storms are expected to include four to seven hurricanes of which one to three are likely to be major storms.

"Hurricane season is upon us. We need to communicate down to the personal level, preparedness, now is the time," said National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read.

Have a plan and follow it, he said, waiting to see if the forecast changes can mean life or death.

Added Craig Fugate, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency: "Hurricanes will make landfall in the United States, hurricanes will destroy homes, people need to heed the preparedness message and be ready to act,"

And Commerce Secretary Gary Locke noted that, "Today, more than 35 million Americans live in regions most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes."

Regardless of the total number of storms, Bell pointed out that "it only takes one to make it a very bad season."

People in hurricane-prone areas need to think about how these storms and their flooding might affect their lives, and to have a hurricane preparedness plan in place before the season begins, he said.

Hurricane season officially starts June 1. Last year there were 16 named storms, of which eight grew into hurricanes and five were major. About 1,000 people lost their lives, mostly in flash flooding in the Caribbean.

NOAA's forecast comes just days after the Department of Homeland Security urged Americans to be prepared for hurricane season.

Competing climate factors complicate the forecast, Bell noted.

Raising the possibility of a busy season are an ongoing high-activity era that began in 1995, which includes enhanced rainfall over West Africa, warmer Atlantic waters and reduced wind shear.

However, Pacific Ocean conditions also can have an impact on Atlantic and Caribbean hurricanes and currently conditions are neutral for warming or cooling of the Pacific sea surface. If an El Nino warming were to develop, that would have the effect of reducing Atlantic hurricanes.

NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco noted that the forecast will be updated in early August, normally the start of the busiest part of hurricane season.

Forecasters give a tropical storm a name when wind speeds reach 39 mph and upgrade it to a hurricane when sustained winds reach 74 mph. Major hurricanes have winds of more than 111 mph. The same type of storm is known as a typhoon or tropical cyclone in other parts of the world.

The first storm of this year in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico will be Ana, followed by Bill, Claudette and Danny.

Researchers at North Carolina State University say between 11 and 14 storms will develop in the Atlantic and 6 to 8 of them will become hurricanes. At Colorado State University, researchers forecast 12 named storms, including 6 hurricanes.

Additional Resources:

Comments

View the discussion thread.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Links We Like

Most Popular

StoriesClick to Expand
- P.I. Complaints Against Baez Escalated
  
  The Florida bar escalates complaints filed against Casey Anthony's defense attorney, Jose Baez.
- Annoying Neighbor: I've Gotten Worse
  
  A man known as Seminole County's most annoying neighbor announced his plans to continue to trash his yard the day after he was released from prison.
- Flooding Causes Millions In Damage
  
  Flooding from four days of nonstop rain has caused more than $8 million in damage in the Daytona Beach area.
- 'Spider-Man 3' Actress Found Dead In Paris
  
  French police say British actress Lucy Gordon, who appeared in "Spider-Man 3," was found dead in her Paris apartment after apparently committing suicide.
- Friend: Casey Never Mentioned 'Zanny'
  
  Attorneys in the civil case against Casey Anthony depose Anthony's former best friend, Annie Downing, Thursday afternoon.
VideosClick to Expand
- Mom Finds Long-Lost Son Across Street
  
  A mother spent 32 years looking for her son. In the end, he was closer than she thought.
- Students Toss Rocks At Music Teacher
  
  Parents at a California school are calling for more security after a teacher was attacked by a group of rock-wielding students.
- Dad Accused Of Eating Son's Eye
  
  A California man is accused of biting his four-year-old son in the eye. A warning: Details of the story are graphic.
- Couple Flees, $6 Million Accidental Bank Deposit
  
  International authorities are searching for two New Zealanders whose bank mistakenly deposited $6.1 million into their account. The couple took some of the money and ran. (May 21)
- 'Annoying Neighbor' Released From Jail
  
  A man known as Seminole County's most annoying neighbor will be released from state prison.
SlideshowsClick to Expand
- Looking For The Best Car For Your Family?
  
  If you're looking for the best car for your family, Parents magazine and Edmunds.com has a list of 15 cars that will get you pointed in the right direction.
- 3-Inch Tall Kitten May Be World's Smallest
- Daytona Beach Flooding
- Flooding SixPix Images 5.21.09
- A Look At 'American Idol' Winners
  
  A look at the winners of Fox's "American Idol" and what they've been up to since taking home the prize.