Feds forecast bad hurricane season-- again

0 Comments | USA TODAY, May, 2008 | by Doyle Rice

Government forecasters are predicting a worse-than-usual hurricane season and hope the forecast will be taken seriously despite similar predictions in the past two years that did not hold up.

The Atlantic remains in an extended period of active hurricane seasons that began in 1995, Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said Thursday.

"People should remember that the 2003-05 seasons saw a total of 31 Atlantic hurricanes," he said. "Although we've had a break the past two years, there's no reason to think that break will continue."

NOAA forecasters predict a 60%-70% likelihood of 12-16 storms strong enough to be named, meaning sustained winds of at...