Missing in America Memorial
Madison Commencement
Bengals hold off season activites
Home > Eye on the Storm > Archives > 2009 > May > 21
Thursday, May 21, 2009
NOAA expects “near-normal” hurricane season
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects nine to 14 named storms, four to seven hurricanes and one to three major hurricanes — with winds of at least 111 mph.
The agency released it initial outlook for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season today, and it says the odds favor a season less active than last year. Hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through November.
Of course, any community that gets hit in 2009 will instantly view it as a terrible year for hurricanes.
“It only takes one to make it a bad season,” said Gerry Bell, NOAA’s lead seasonal Atlantic hurricane forecaster, echoing a common refrain in storm predictions.
The 2009 outlook foresees a less fierce prospect than last year’s result: 16 named storms, eight hurricanes and five major hurricanes. NOAA’s May prediction last year was in the right range, calling for 12-16 named storms, 6-9 hurricanes and two to five five major hurricanes.
