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.
