May 21, 2009 1:33 pm US/Eastern
NOAA Makes Hurricane 2009 Prediction
NOAA: 9-14 Named Storms, 4-7 Hurricanes, 1-3 Major Hurricanes
Hurricane Season Is June 1 - Nov. 30
WASHINGTON (CBS4) ―
Government forecasters have released their 2009 Atlantic Hurricane season outlook.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed the outlook in a hangar at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., far from the National Hurricane Center in West Miami which handles forecasting during the storms.
NOAA predicted there would be between 9-14 named storms, 4-7 hurricanes and 1-3 major hurricanes.
"Hurricane season is upon us. We need to communicate down to the personal level, preparedness, now is the time," said National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read. "Have a plan and follow it," he said, "Waiting to see if the forecast changes can mean life or death."
New FEMA administrator Craig Fugate, who ran Florida's emergency management agency addded, "Hurricanes will make landfall in the United States, hurricanes will destroy homes, people need to heed the preparedness message and be ready to act."
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke noted that, "Today, more than 35 million Americans live in regions most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes."
Regardless of the total number of storms,
Gerry Bell, lead Atlantic hurricane forecaster for NOAA pointed out that "it only takes one to make it a very bad season."
"People in hurricane-prone areas need to think about how these storms and their flooding might affect their lives, and to have a hurricane preparedness plan in place before the season begins," he said.
Hurricane season officially starts June 1. Last year there were 16 named storms, of which 8 grew into hurricanes and 5 were major. About 1,000 people lost their lives, mostly in flash flooding in the Caribbean.
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