Big Hurricane Season Predicted—Has U.S. Run Out of Luck?
Though spared in 2010, U.S. coasts likely to see more landfalls, experts say.
Twelve to 18 named tropical storms with winds of at least 39 miles (63 kilometers) an hour could form in the Atlantic Basin, which includes the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) head Jane Lubchenco.
Six to ten of those named storms could intensify into hurricanes—meaning they'd have winds of at least 74 miles (119 kilometers) an hour, Lubchenco said during a press briefing.
And three to six of the hurricanes could develop winds exceeding 110 miles (177 kilometers) an hour, which would make the storms major hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.
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The busy hurricane forecast is based on several factors, such as
