2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast
The
official start to the Atlantic Hurricane Season is June 1st. Now is a good time to make preparations for an emergency evacuation and formulate your disaster plan.
The Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project has published its forecast for the Atlantic basin hurricane activity, based on 58 years of past data and predictive statistical analysis. Early season forecasts are for the following:
| Atlantic Hurricane Season | April 2008 forecast | 1950 – 2007 average |
| Named storms (>35mph) | 15 | 9.6 |
| Hurricanes (>72mph) | 8 | 5.9 |
| Major hurricanes (>111mph) | 4 | 2.3 |
| US landfall likelihood | 69% | 52% |
| Gulf Coast landfall | 44% | 30% |
The active year of 2005 and Hurricane Katrina may have passed into memory, and 2007 was a quiet season for the Florida Gulf Coast, but tropical activity is intensifying each year. Remember that a record breaking two intense Category 5 hurricanes made landfall in Mexico last year. 
And it was just 2004 when Hurricane Charlie breached North Captiva Island, not far south of here.
The recent Myanmar cyclone is a wake-up call that the hurricane season is upon us.
On Saturday, May 31st, Manatee County Homebuyer and Hurricane Expo will be held at the Manatee Civic Center, Haben Blvd, Palmetto, 10am – 3pm. The expo will present personal hurricane planning, disaster planning, and property protection.
Related posts:
- 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season Review Highlights: High water and flooding on Anna Maria Island from TS Barry Lower seasonal activity than predicted Record of 2 Category 5 hurricanes Record number of storms (9) in one month (Sep) No major hurricane landfalls in US 15...
- How to Survive Hurricane Season on Anna Maria Island There’s more to surviving hurricane season than knowing how and when to evacuate. Even in summers without any significant hurricanes coming near the island, I have noticed that hurricanes still interfere with life, and cause stress....
- Tropical Storm Fay Detours Around Anna Maria Island All eyes were on the tropics this week as a tropical depression in the Atlantic became a storm named Fay, when wind speeds hit 39 mph. As Fay crossed the Dominican Republic and Haiti, forecasters correctly predicted a turn...
- Holmes Beach Surfs Hurricane Ike Surge Anna Maria Island beaches felt the effects of Hurricane Ike this week with several days of high surf and high water. Every day this past week brought a good swell and copious waves as Ike passed 300 miles away to...
- The Best Roofs for Avoiding Hurricane Damage Anyone in the market for a house on Anna Maria Island should certainly pay close attention to the quality of the construction, starting with the roof. ...
