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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]With the Atlantic Ocean's first tropical depression moving far off the U.S. East Coast, the June 1 official start of the hurricane season is nearly upon us. The tropical depression, which formed May 28, isn't likely to form into a tropical storm, so it won't be given a name.
Last year, the Atlantic saw 16 named tropical storms -- from Tropical Storm Arthur on May 30, which killed five and caused $78 million in damages in Belize, to Hurricane Paloma, which formed Nov. 5 and struck Cuba as a Category 4 monster that was the second-most intense hurricane ever recorded in November.
All in all, there were eight Atlantic hurricanes and storms caused an estimated $41 billion in damages and left hundreds dead -- more than 800 in Haiti alone.
The eastern Pacific saw 16 named storms, seven of them hurricanes, starting with Tropical Storm Alma on May 29 and ending Nov. 5 when Tropical Storm Polo petered out.
The 2008 hurricane season produced several record-breaking storms, including Tropical Storm Alma, the easternmost named storm ever to form in the Pacific, and Hurricane Bertha, the longest-lived Atlantic tropical storm on record.
Four storms were notable -- or deadly -- enough that the names were retired -- Alma, Gustav, Ike, and Paloma. Hurricane Gustav caused $4 billion damage in Louisiana and killed 112 people, including 77 in Haiti. Hurricane Ike was the season's strongest hurricane and the third-costliest storm (more than $19 billion) to hit the U.S., devastating Galveston, Texas, and causing about 100 deaths in the Caribbean and along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
What's in store for 2009?
2009 hurricane forecast
How and if global warming influences hurricane formation is still a matter of genuine scientific debate. In recent years, scientists have at least identified several factors -- from the extent of rainfall in Africa to the presence or absence of El Nino conditions in the Pacific -- that help them predict the intensity of a hurricane season ahead of time. Here's what the two most prominent forecasters have to say:
The federal government has predicted a "near normal" hurricane season for the Atlantic with a 25% chance of above-normal outbreaks and 25% chance of below-normal outbreaks -- though overall, forecasters expressed a greater degree of uncertainty this year than they have in past years.
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's predicts a 70% chance of:
When those storms do come, they will be given names. Tropical cyclones are given names when they achieve tropical storm strength, with sustained winds of at least 39 mph. Hurricanes are tropical storms that have sustained winds that exceed 74 mph, and major hurricanes have sustained winds that exceed 111 mph.
Here are the tropical storm and hurricane names for 2009:
2009 hurricane and tropical storm names - Atlantic
2009 hurricane and tropical storm names - Eastern North Pacific
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]With the Atlantic Ocean's first tropical depression moving far off the U.S. East Coast, the June 1 official start of the hurricane season is nearly upon us. The tropical depression, which formed May 28, isn't likely to form into a tropical storm, so it won't be given a name.
Last year, the Atlantic saw 16 named tropical storms -- from Tropical Storm Arthur on May 30, which killed five and caused $78 million in damages in Belize, to Hurricane Paloma, which formed Nov. 5 and struck Cuba as a Category 4 monster that was the second-most intense hurricane ever recorded in November.
All in all, there were eight Atlantic hurricanes and storms caused an estimated $41 billion in damages and left hundreds dead -- more than 800 in Haiti alone.
The eastern Pacific saw 16 named storms, seven of them hurricanes, starting with Tropical Storm Alma on May 29 and ending Nov. 5 when Tropical Storm Polo petered out.
The 2008 hurricane season produced several record-breaking storms, including Tropical Storm Alma, the easternmost named storm ever to form in the Pacific, and Hurricane Bertha, the longest-lived Atlantic tropical storm on record.
Four storms were notable -- or deadly -- enough that the names were retired -- Alma, Gustav, Ike, and Paloma. Hurricane Gustav caused $4 billion damage in Louisiana and killed 112 people, including 77 in Haiti. Hurricane Ike was the season's strongest hurricane and the third-costliest storm (more than $19 billion) to hit the U.S., devastating Galveston, Texas, and causing about 100 deaths in the Caribbean and along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
What's in store for 2009?
2009 hurricane forecast
How and if global warming influences hurricane formation is still a matter of genuine scientific debate. In recent years, scientists have at least identified several factors -- from the extent of rainfall in Africa to the presence or absence of El Nino conditions in the Pacific -- that help them predict the intensity of a hurricane season ahead of time. Here's what the two most prominent forecasters have to say:
The federal government has predicted a "near normal" hurricane season for the Atlantic with a 25% chance of above-normal outbreaks and 25% chance of below-normal outbreaks -- though overall, forecasters expressed a greater degree of uncertainty this year than they have in past years.
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's predicts a 70% chance of:
- Named storms: 9-14
- Hurricanes: 4-7
- Major hurricanes: 1-3
- Named storms: 12
- Hurricanes: 6
- Major hurricanes: 2
- Entire U.S. coastline: 54%
- U.S. East Coast (including peninsula Florida): 32%
- Gulf Coast (from the Florida Panhandle westward to Brownsville, Texas): 31%
- Caribbean: Average
When those storms do come, they will be given names. Tropical cyclones are given names when they achieve tropical storm strength, with sustained winds of at least 39 mph. Hurricanes are tropical storms that have sustained winds that exceed 74 mph, and major hurricanes have sustained winds that exceed 111 mph.
Here are the tropical storm and hurricane names for 2009:
2009 hurricane and tropical storm names - Atlantic
- Ana
- Bill
- Claudette
- Danny
- Erika
- Fred
- Grace
- Henri
- Ida
- Joaquin
- Kate
- Larry
- Mindy
- Nicholas
- Odette
- Peter
- Rose
- Sam
- Teresa
- Victor
- Wanda
2009 hurricane and tropical storm names - Eastern North Pacific
- Andres
- Blanca
- Carlos
- Dolores
- Enrique
- Felicia
- Guillermo
- Hilda
- Ignacio
- Jimena
- Kevin
- Linda
- Marty
- Nora
- Olaf
- Patricia
- Rick
- Sandra
- Terry
- Vivian
- Waldo
- Xina
- York
- Zelda
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Discuss the type of hazards that could affect your family. Know your home's vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind.[/FONT]
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[/FONT]Locate a safe room or the safest areas in your home for each hurricane hazard. In certain circumstances the safest areas may not be your home but within your community.[/FONT]
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[/FONT]Determine escape routes from your home and places to meet. These should be measured in tens of miles rather than hundreds of miles.[/FONT]
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[/FONT]Have an out-of-state friend as a family contact, so all your family members have a single point of contact.[/FONT]
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[/FONT]Make a plan now for what to do with your pets if you need to evacuate.[/FONT]
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[/FONT]Post emergency telephone numbers by your phones and make sure your children know how and when to call 911.[/FONT]
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[/FONT]Check your insurance coverage - flood damage is not usually covered by homeowners insurance.[/FONT]
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[/FONT]Stock non-perishable emergency supplies and a Disaster Supply Kit. [/FONT]
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[/FONT]Use a NOAA weather radio. Remember to replace its battery every 6 months, as you do with your smoke detectors.[/FONT]
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[/FONT]Take First Aid, CPR and disaster preparedness classes.[/FONT]
Family Disaster Plan
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Family Disaster Plan