Do they publish the hurricane predictions in the rest of the country, or is it only those of us along the coast who are interested?
Anyway, here's a summary from the NY Daily News of the announcements made this week from the hurricane prediction centers.
Hurricane forecast for 2010 reminds scientists of Katrina year, concern centers on Gulf Coast, Haiti
By Sean Alfano
NY DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
As if things in the Gulf of Mexico weren’t bad enough, the 2010 Atlantic hurricane forecast calls for added misery to the battered region.
The U.S. can expect up to seven major hurricanes this year, rivaling 2005 when Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans. A major hurricane is any storm rated Category 3 or higher, and carrying winds of at least 111 miles per hour.
"If this outlook holds true, this season could be one of the more active on record," National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration official Jane Lubchenco said in a statement Thursday.
The forecast calls for between eight and 14 hurricanes total, and 14 to 23 tropical storms.
Even a minor hurricane could spell catastrophe for the Gulf Coast if the current epic oil spill persists. Heavy winds and surging waves could propel oil further inland and cause irreparable damage to the wetlands.
A second major concern is a hurricane hitting Haiti, which is still reeling from January’s massive earthquake that reduced parts of the Caribbean nation to rubble.
The Atlantic hurricane season starts Tuesday and lasts until Nov. 30.
Terrific. I guess we should have known not to do that landscaping we did a few weeks ago until AFTER hurricane season. I think it must be kind of like washing your car and causing it to rain because the last time we landscaped the front of the house was just before Katrina! Now look what they’re saying.
Actually, Mark tells me the real problem is the temperature of the water in the Gulf. With the temperatures of the water out there already four degrees higher than ever recorded in the past, any storm moving into the Gulf is likely to become truly destructive. We live far enough inland that it's unlikely to be a serious danger to us. (Our town is much more likely to be the center for rescue efforts. We actually live less than a mile from that huge warehouse where they kept the bodies recovered after Katrina.) Still, I am really afraid of what might happen in the wake of a serious storm THIS year with all that oil out there just waiting to be blown into the marshes. All those poor birds and animals. Keep your fingers crossed that we won't have to find out just how much of a disaster it could become.
Actually, Mark tells me the real problem is the temperature of the water in the Gulf. With the temperatures of the water out there already four degrees higher than ever recorded in the past, any storm moving into the Gulf is likely to become truly destructive. We live far enough inland that it's unlikely to be a serious danger to us. (Our town is much more likely to be the center for rescue efforts. We actually live less than a mile from that huge warehouse where they kept the bodies recovered after Katrina.) Still, I am really afraid of what might happen in the wake of a serious storm THIS year with all that oil out there just waiting to be blown into the marshes. All those poor birds and animals. Keep your fingers crossed that we won't have to find out just how much of a disaster it could become.
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