Up To 9 Hurricanes Expected For '08

Forecasters Say Two To Five Could Be Major Hurricanes

(AP)  The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season should be about as bad as normal or slightly busier, with a good chance of six to nine hurricanes forming, federal forecasters said Thursday in a new way of making predictions.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials also said 12 to 16 named storms and two to five major hurricanes could form.

They said there is only a 60 to 70 percent chance for their predictions to come true, the first time officials gave a probability. They took that step following years of criticism of their long-range forecasts, which have usually been fairly accurate but in some cases have been way off.

For example, government forecasters expected 12 to 15 named storms in 2005, but there turned out to be 28, the busiest season on record.

Forecasters stress that residents should always be prepared no matter what the seasonal forecasts say, because even a slow season can be disastrous. Seasonal forecasts don't predict whether, where or when any of these storms may hit land.

"We don't want anyone changing their preparation plans because of the seasonal outlook. The only number that matters is the number one, the one storm that you need to prepare for," said Dennis Feltgen, spokesman for the National Hurricane Center, which is part of NOAA.

An average season has 11 named storms, including six hurricanes of which two reach major status with winds of more than 110 mph.

Forecasters and emergency responders fear that coastal residents will be apathetic this year after the United States escaped the past two storm seasons virtually unscathed.

"Living in a coastal state means having a plan for each and every hurricane season. Review or complete emergency plans now — before a storm threatens," said Conrad C. Lautenbacher, NOAA administrator. "Planning and preparation is the key to storm survival and recovery."

Colorado State University weather researcher William Gray expects 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major this year.

Last year, there were 15 named storms and six hurricanes, two of which were major. The government predicted 13 to 17 named storms, seven to 10 hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes.

Gray was further off the mark. Before the start of the season, he forecast 17 named storms, including nine hurricanes, five of them major.

The Atlantic season begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.

[witchsince91]

MY LOCAL TV WEATHERMAN CAN''T EVEN GET TOMORROW''S FORECAST RIGHT. ...AND THESE GUYS KEEP TRYING TO PREDICT SEVERAL MONTHS OUT INTO THE FUTURE!!! :-P

[ubrew12]

Glock4me said: "So they are predicting a nearly normal hurricane season, huh? Is this a result of global warming?"

No. One or two of those hurricanes could be real whoppers. THAT is a result of global warming.

[rukindr]

They had me until the "normal season" statistics!

[glock4me]

So they are predicting a nearly normal hurricane season, huh? Is this a result of global warming?

[rf35]

I hope one his DC on coronation...er...inauguration day.

[seafang]

Well according to Al Gore, we should be getting one category five about every week; I mean what about all that global warming; er; climate change, isn''t that supposed to have some effect on hurricanes, like more rain and floods and all that.

Why don''t they wait till december and then tell us how many hurricanes we had.

[msay3]

All you have to do is keep an eye on the animals...They know when a storm is coming....When they take off for high ground, you''d be wise to follow them....

[pollroller1]

We went out to a nice restaurant last night for dinner.
I had two hurricanes and the wife had to drive us home.
hahahaha

[libh8er]

''this year there will be one. it will hit the chocolate city and all will blame the neocons.''

Guess we better get used to saying, ''it''s all McCain''s fault!'' :)

[raskal_2]

No point in notifying Fema ,inventagod2. Fema hasn''tresponded much since Katrina. They even have had fake press conferences, with fake reporters. And looky here, just today, there is a story that the levies that they paid to fix are leaking...

[libh8er]

Sounds a bit like......NORMAL....for named storme. *** is the big story here?

[mjvw2]

There were 11 expected last year, and we didn''''t get one. There were I think 15 expected the year before that. None.
Posted by smoker991

this year there will be one. it will hit the chocolate city and all will blame the neocons.

[inventagod2]

Has anyone notified FEMA?

[demslie]

You can tell that CBS (Communist Broadcast System) is on a politcal bent today. There are covering every politcally correct subject that O''bama is speaking about today. They have had stories about GAYYS being the proper lifestyle and the US Military killing everybody, Hurrican Katrinka problems and the World coming to an End if we don''t vote for O,Bama and George Bush killed the Dinosaurs and Terrorists are Good and Christians are terrorists. Did I cover them all?

[lochlan-2009]

I think it is going to be closer to 5. What do we win if we guess right?

[smoker991]

There were 11 expected last year, and we didn''t get one. There were I think 15 expected the year before that. None. Then there were 5 the year before. So now its 9? Maybe you should move the weather service down to Florida, and the NASA up to New York.