Coastal Strike Likely This Hurricane Season
This year’s hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean started on June 1, and if forecasters are correct, home owners in Florida and other storm-prone states will likely once again find themselves in the path of devastation. Based on current and projected climate data, meteorologist Bill Gray and his research team from Colorado State University say that there is a 77% chance of an intense hurricane hitting somewhere along the U.S. coastline this year, compared with a long-term average of 52%. To read the report, click here. This season will spawn four hurricanes strengthening to sustained winds in excess of 110 miles per hour, and two of these are expected to hit the U.S. Fifteen tropical storms are expected in all, with eight growing to hurricane force. Gray’s researchers say that there is a 59% chance of an intense hurricane making landfall along the Atlantic coast this year, compared with a long-term average of 31%. For the Gulf of Mexico — from the Florida panhandle westward to Brownsville, Texas — the probability of a major hit is 44%, compared with a long-term average of 30%. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maintains a Web site to assist property owners and businesses located in hurricane-prone areas with preparing for a hurricane strike. To access this information, click here. Hurricanes are the most expensive natural disaster occurring in the U.S. The average annual insured loss from 1950 to 2004 for hurricane damage was $3 billion in 2004 dollars. Last year, the President issued 68 declarations of a major disaster for relief efforts, surpassing the previous year’s total by 12 and ranking second only to 1995, when 75 declarations were issued, according to FEMA. Twenty-seven of the declarations last year were for hurricane-related damage in 15 states. FEMA figures also show that $4.85 billion of the more than $5.53 billion expended for disaster aid in 2004 was in the wake of hurricanes. For more information, e-mail Ken Ford at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8228. | 
