Licorice Pizza’s 2007 Hurricane Preview

Last season: The 2006 hurricane season was a disappointment to natural disaster fans everywhere. Following the intense activity of the 2005 season, weather pundits predicted the 2006 season would be equally active. However, El Niño and other factors contributed to a slow season. All tropical cyclone activity ceased after October 2.

In late August, Hurricane Ernesto caused the deaths of at least seven people in Haiti and the United States. Four more hurricanes formed after Ernesto, including the strongest storms of the season, Hurricanes Helene and Gordon. However, no tropical cyclones formed in the month of October, the first time this had happened since the 1994 season. This was also the first time since the 1997 season that the World Meteorological Organization retired no storm names, usually done after a particularly catastrophic storm.

This season’s outlook: The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2007 Atlantic hurricane season outlook indicates a very high – 75 percent – chance of an above-normal hurricane season. The outlook calls for a very high likelihood of an above-normal hurricane season, with 13-17 named storms, 7-10 hurricanes, and 3-5 major hurricanes.

The prediction for an above-normal 2007 hurricane season reflects the expected combination of two main climate factors: 1) the continuation of conditions that have been conducive to above-normal Atlantic hurricane seasons since 1995, and 2) the strong likelihood of either ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) -neutral or La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

Licorice Pizza’s opinion: There are three reasons I hate living in South Florida: 1) the high cost of living, 2) the people, and 3) the hurricanes.
And not necessarily in that order.

Opening day for the 2007 hurricane season was today. We opened the season with Tropical Storm Barry on the mound. Fortunately, the storm has only drizzled on us all day and there haven’t been any major problems. But if it’s an indication of what we’re facing this season, it is going to suck. For us. Even the insane 2005 season didn’t start this early.

Judging from the hits I get on this page, I don’t think a lot of my readers live in Florida. There are a few in the Gulf States and the Eastern seaboard, though, so you know what I mean when I say, “Give me shelter from the storm.”

Shelter From the Storm.mp3 Bob Dylan
Rock You Like a Hurricane (live).mp3 Scorpions
Ridin’ the Storm Out.mp3 REO Speedwagon
Riders on the Storm.mp3 The Doors
Like a Hurricane.mp3 Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Labels: hurricanes

posted by aikin @ 10:57 PM