25 Storms Forecasted for 2011

Catastrophes in 2010 combined to be a costly year for insurers. And, unfortunately, forecasts predict that insurers will not get much of a reprieve in 2011. 

The Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University released a report on extended range forecast of Atlantic seasonal hurricane activity and landfall strike probability for 2011. The researchers foresee well above-average activity for the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, and anticipate an above-average probability of United States and Caribbean major hurricane landfall.

Specifically, the report states there is a 72% probability that that at least one major (Category 3, 4, 5) hurricane will make landfall on the U.S. coastline. Also, the probabilities of at least one major hurricane making landfall on the East Coast, including the Florida peninsula and the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle westward to Brownsville, Texas are 48% and 47%, respectively. These probabilities are much higher than the average for the last century, according to the report.

Information the researchers obtained through March 2011 indicates that the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season will have significantly more activity than the average 1950-2000 season. The report states that 2011 will have about nine hurricanes (average is 5.9), 16 named storms (average is 9.6), 80 named storm days (average is 49.1), 35 hurricane days (average is 24.5), five major hurricanes (average is 2.3) and 10 major hurricane days (average is 5.0).

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