US avoids hurricane wrath again this year

Wednesday, 06 Nov, 2007 0

This year’s hurricane season is coming to a close with the coastal US free from any significant or deadly storms for a second straight year — which is good news for more than one reason.

“As a result, parts of the Gulf Coast and Florida still recovering from the deadly batterings of a dozen hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 have had more time to rebuild and prepare for next time,” notes USA Today.

Only one hurricane and three tropical storms hit land this year in the US: Hurricane Humberto and Tropical Storms Barry, Erin and Gabrielle.

Last year, no hurricanes and two tropical storms touched shore.

This season’s storms were above the long-term average for the number of named storms. The National Hurricane Center has tracked 14 storms — four of them hurricanes.

In an average year, 10 storms are named, six of them hurricanes and two of them major.

“I hate to say ‘lucky’ yet, but I’m certain most people along the Gulf Coast are breathing a sigh of relief,” said scientist David Levinson of the National Climatic Data Center.

Hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November.

Since 1900, only four November hurricanes have reached the US, according to wire services.

This year’s two major hurricanes, Dean and Felix, belted the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America; they were blamed for about 175 deaths.

The dearth of deadly hurricanes was somewhat unexpected because forecasters had predicted an above-average year in 2007, with up to 10 hurricanes, five of them major.

“That’s how nature works. These things happen,” said hurricane expert William Gray, who had wrongly predicted 17 named storms and nine hurricanes.

Report by David Wilkening

David

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