Expect three major hurricanes this year in the US, predicts forecaster AccuWeather.
The storm-battered Gulf Coast will be most at risk in June and July, the forecast said.
The year 2005 set records for hurricanes that devastated New Orleans and other coastal cities.
“The 2006 storm season will be a creeping threat,” said AccuWeather chief forecaster Joe Bastardi. He predicted five hurricanes would hit the US coastline.
Early in the season, the Texas Gulf Coast faces the highest likelihood of hurricanes, he said. Through the rest of the season, the Carolinas will have the highest risk.
At the tail-end of the hurricane season, the Northeast and southern Florida could have the most problems, he predicted.
Last year, eight tropical storms landed in the US. Among them was Hurricane Katrina, the costliest storm on record, causing more than $80 billion in damage.
Report by David Wilkening
