Above Average Hurricanes and Flooding Expected for U.S. in 2010, Say Experts
April 8, 2010 Kyriaki (Sandy) Venetis 
Photo courtesy of CHICAGOLAND TELEVISION.
Water has awesome power. As we’ve often seen it can either be the bringer of life or its ultimate destroyer. Hopefully, not too much of the latter happens this year, as researchers at Colorado State University forecast “an above average 2010 Atlantic basin hurricane season.”
They’re basing this on the projection that El Nino conditions (warm ocean currents, often brining rain) will dissipate by this summer, but that warm tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures will continue.
“Based on our latest forecast, the probability of a major hurricane making landfall along the U.S. coastline is 69 percent compared with the last-century average of 52 percent. While patterns may change before the start of hurricane season, we believe current conditions warrant concern for an above average season,” said William Gray, head of the Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State.
The Atlantic hurricane season is officially from June 1 to Nov. 30. During this time, university researchers are predicting 15 named storms to form in the Atlantic basin, with eight expected to be hurricanes, and four developing into major hurricanes (categories 3-5, with sustained winds of 111 mph or greater).