Friday, May 25,2012
By: Carrie Van Brunt-Wiley
While two named storms have already formed in the Pacific Ocean before hurricane season moves into high gear, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration still say they expect this year to be near-normal.
The agency says it sees just a 20 percent chance of an above-average year, with a 30 percent probability of a slow season. Researchers say there is a 70 percent chance of 12 to 18 named storms forming, including up to nine hurricanes and five major hurricanes.
An average Eastern Pacific hurricane season includes about 15 named storms.
"The Eastern Pacific has gotten off to a busy and early start of the season," said Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. "Despite our predictions, it only takes one hurricane to cause a lot of damage and loss of life if people aren't prepared."
While most Pacific storms end up staying mostly over open ocean, they may also bring rain to the western mainland U.S. or cause Hawaii home insurance issues if they veer far enough west.
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