Fewer Hurricanes Predicted than Previously Thought

The National Hurricane Center and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agencies say forecasters now expect there to be 12-15 named storms and seven to nine hurricanes in 2006, three to four of which could be major hurricanes with sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour. This means that, according to these estimates, the Atlantic Ocean?s hurricane season should be slightly less active than originally anticipated, but still above long-term averages. The 2005 Hurricane season turned out to be much worse than expected, breaking records with 28 named storms, 15 hurricanes and seven major other storms.

That 2005 hurricane season included Hurricane Katrina, which due to development and population growth was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, killing more than 1,500 and wiping out parts of coastal areas in Louisiana and Mississippi, including oil refining facilities. The destruction only added to the nation?s energy woes, and the federal response to the disaster sparked outrage among blacks and others. At Colorado State University, forecasters reduced their initial storm estimate from nine hurricanes, five of them major, to seven, with three to five major storms predicted that weren?t expected to make hurricane status.

Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center, had some advice for U.S. residents of hurricane-prone areas: ?As we approach the peak of the hurricane season, our message remains the same, be informed and be prepared. Preventing the loss of life and minimizing property damage from hurricanes are responsibilities shared by all. Remember, one hurricane hitting your neighborhood is enough to make it a bad season.?

                                 

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