Posted on 05/15/2006 9:54:48 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three major hurricanes will strike the United States this year, with the storm-battered Gulf Coast most at risk in June and July, forecaster AccuWeather predicted Monday.
The outlook comes after a record-setting hurricane season in 2005 that devastated New Orleans and other coastal cities along the Gulf, and dealt a heavy blow to the U.S. oil industry that sent energy prices to record highs.
"The 2006 storm season will be a creeping threat," said AccuWeather Chief Forecaster Joe Bastardi. He projected that five hurricanes, three of them with winds over 110 miles per hour, would hit the U.S. coastline.
"Early in the season the Texas Gulf Coast faces the highest likelihood of a hurricane strike, possibly putting Gulf energy production in the line of fire," he said. "As early as July, and through much of the rest of the season, the highest level of risk shifts to the Carolinas."
At the tail-end of the season, the Northeast and southern Florida will be most at risk from storms, he said.
This year feature fewer named storms than last year's record of 28, but will still be a season of above-average storm frequency, AccuWeather said in the press release.
Last year, there were eight tropical storm landfalls in the U.S., including two separate strikes by Katrina as the storm crossed the Florida peninsula and then plowed into the central Gulf Coast in late August. Four of these were major hurricanes - with winds over 110 mph: Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma.
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest storm on record, causing more than $80 billion in damage.
Let's keep it that way. ;-)
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite image of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. Three major hurricanes will strike the U.S. this year, with the storm-battered Gulf Coast most at risk in June and July, forecaster AccuWeather predicted Monday. (NOAA/Handout/Reuters)
Reese Witherspoon arrives at the 78th Academy Awards, in this Sunday, March 5, 2006 file photo in Los Angeles. Witherspoon says she wants families affected by Hurricane Katrina to know they haven't been forgotten. The Oscar award-winning actress was among a delegation of women who toured devastated parts of the city last week. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, FILE)
I have considerable doubt about statements such as Three major hurricanes will strike the U.S. this year.
I am not looking forward to this hurricane season. Needless to say the Louisiana Coast needs a couple of seasons before a anext big one hits. I am anxious to see if the prediction of more Gulf Hurricanes hitting the deep South is indeed a trend.
But those hurricanes are illegally invading our country across the southern border.
The sun will rise in the east this year. It will be more intense in the summer.
Because hype sells, and Accuwankers and their lead carnival barker (the aptly named) Joe Bastardi sell a lot of it.
Love the editing here.
Naughtius Maximus predicts a plague of locusts, a plague of homegrown non-immigrant locusts.
Only 3?
Big improvement over last year. I sat through 3 last year, to include Katrina (before it clobbered NO) and Wilma.
I can't wait!
NOT!
If this dork can accurately tell me the weather TWO WEEKS from today then I will believe him...
Aw c'mon Izzy we all know how the weather forecasters can predict the weather with 100% accuracy seconds in advance.
I myself predict.
Mmmmmmm...
My prediction is; someplace in the USA during the next 6 months there will be a location that has sunny weather.
You're speaking (writing) of the MSM! They'll decide what is a 'major hurricane' and not some pencil-necked geek. Note the shift from the SS scale to dollars claimed damage as the measure of severity. Analogous to selling sports-personalities rather than sports performance. The MSM - dead men walking.
Reese Witherspoon arrives at the 78th Academy Awards, in this Sunday, March 5, 2006 file photo in Los Angeles. Witherspoon says she wants families affected by Hurricane Katrina to know they haven't been forgotten. The Oscar award-winning actress was among a delegation of women who toured devastated parts of the city last week.
I love her!!! I absolutely love her!!!! Oh don't worry my wife doesn't like this weird obsession either. As far as going down to Katrina as long as she does not blame the President than I don't care. She can go their to give people hope just not in a liberal way.
All of our bad ones have been in the last half of the season (Camille Sept '69, Eloise Sept '75, Elena Sept '85, Kate Nov '85, Erin Aug '95, and Opal Oct '95).
Of those, Kate hit us a few days before Thanksgiving. We made a big bonfire of the downed tree limbs we spent Thanksgiving day cleaning up. It weakened just prior to landfall so our winds were mostly in the mid 80 mph area and that made it a power-line and downed trees, shrimpoat washed up in your backyard kind of event.
In approaching hurricane season it's good to not focus so much on the number of storms as it is the fact that it only takes one.
Hurricane Ping-listers coming out of hibernation? I haven't "heard" from a few of them since November. Wonder how they all are doing, specially NautiNurse.
Bastardi?
Who is this SOB?
Accuweather?
An oxymoron on a par with "happily married."
(((yawn))) "scratch" Is it June yet?
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