With the Atlantic Ocean’s first tropical depression having come and gone, today marks the official start of the hurricane season. The tropical depression, which formed May 28, didn’t form into a tropical storm, so it wasn’t given a name.
Last year, the Atlantic saw 16 named tropical storms — from Tropical Storm Arthur on May 30, which killed five and caused $78 million in damages in Belize, to Hurricane Paloma, which formed Nov. 5 and struck Cuba as a Category 4 monster that was the second-most intense hurricane ever recorded in November.
All in all, there were eight Atlantic hurricanes and storms caused an estimated $41 billion in damages and left hundreds dead — more than 800 in Haiti alone.
The eastern Pacific saw 16 named storms, seven of them hurricanes, starting with Tropical Storm Alma on May 29 and ending Nov. 5 when Tropical Storm Polo petered out.
The 2008 hurricane season produced several record-breaking storms, including Tropical Storm Alma, the easternmost named storm ever to form in the Pacific, and Hurricane Bertha, the longest-lived Atlantic tropical storm on record.
Four storms were notable — or deadly — enough that the names were retired — Alma, Gustav, Ike, and Paloma. Hurricane Gustav caused $4 billion damage in Louisiana and killed 112 people, including 77 in Haiti. Hurricane Ike was the season’s strongest hurricane and the third-costliest storm (more than $19 billion) to hit the U.S., devastating Galveston, Texas, and causing about 100 deaths in the Caribbean and along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
What’s in store for 2009?
2009 hurricane forecast
How and if global warming influences hurricane formation is still a matter of genuine scientific debate. In recent years, scientists have at least identified several factors — from the extent of rainfall in Africa to the presence or absence of El Nino conditions in the Pacific — that help them predict the intensity of a hurricane season ahead of time. Here’s what the two most prominent forecasters have to say:
The federal government has predicted a “near normal” hurricane season for the Atlantic with a 25% chance of above-normal outbreaks and 25% chance of below-normal outbreaks — though overall, forecasters expressed a greater degree of uncertainty this year than they have in past years.
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s predicts a 70% chance of:
- Named storms: 9-14
- Hurricanes: 4-7
- Major hurricanes: 1-3
The other major forecaster in the U.S., the University of Colorado, recently revised down its expectations for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season:
- Named storms: 12
- Hurricanes: 6
- Major hurricanes: 2
Further, the Colorado forecasters predicted the following probabilities that a major hurricane could strike the U.S., all of which are about average for the past century:
- Entire U.S. coastline: 54%
- U.S. East Coast (including peninsula Florida): 32%
- Gulf Coast (from the Florida Panhandle westward to Brownsville, Texas): 31%
- Caribbean: Average
Forecasters warn that the number of storms and their intensity is only one key determinant of risk of property damage and loss of life: The biggest factor is who lives in harm’s way and how well they prepare. Some 35 million U.S. residents live in hurricane-prone regions, and experts urge them to prepare.
When those storms do come, they will be given names. Tropical cyclones are given names when they achieve tropical storm strength, with sustained winds of at least 39 mph. Hurricanes are tropical storms that have sustained winds that exceed 74 mph, and major hurricanes have sustained winds that exceed 111 mph.
Here are the tropical storm and hurricane names for 2009:
2009 hurricane and tropical storm names - Atlantic
- Ana
- Bill
- Claudette
- Danny
- Erika
- Fred
- Grace
- Henri
- Ida
- Joaquin
- Kate
- Larry
- Mindy
- Nicholas
- Odette
- Peter
- Rose
- Sam
- Teresa
- Victor
- Wanda
2009 hurricane and tropical storm names - Eastern North Pacific
- Andres
- Blanca
- Carlos
- Dolores
- Enrique
- Felicia
- Guillermo
- Hilda
- Ignacio
- Jimena
- Kevin
- Linda
- Marty
- Nora
- Olaf
- Patricia
- Rick
- Sandra
- Terry
- Vivian
- Waldo
- Xina
- York
- Zelda
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It has always been a dream of mine to start my own business, now the hard part is actually starting. I have a ton of ideas but once it gets down to it I flake and run. I have had my domain business but it is starting to take a toll on me, especially with all the scammers and spammers out there waiting to pounce like a pack of rabid hayennas. So now I’m getting my MBA hoping that I will figure out how to make this work.
I found that you can start any business in the world and be successful as long as you love what you are doing. I just haven’t found that one thing that I love that I can commit myself to for the rest of my life. Do you ever wonder why some people get into the sausage business? It’s not because of the glamour surrounding the job its because they love sausage and would do anything for sausage. I am envious of those people that have that one thing they love, I wish I loved sausage or anything - it would make my life that much easier. But then again life isn’t suppose to be easy, its suppose to kick your ass every single day.
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I have been in this love hate relationship with domain names for about a year and a half now. It is a very difficult business to get into, mainly because it is so saturated. At first I was registering the absolute WORST domains ever thinking I was going to be the next Kevin Ham (the master of domains.) Well, I was not so fortunate and I ended up losing about $1,200 in crap registrations that I just let exprie. If anyone reading this is interested in the domain business I highly suggest you read alot before you even consider registering your first domain. There are alot of forums that provide a ton of information, an example is Namepros.com and DNF.com - very good medium for finding info on the domain game.
As of recently I finally started figuring out how to really buy great domains and then sell them for a few thousand percent profit. Now I have amassed a pretty decent portfolio of generic and am working on some minisite development. Here is an example of a work in progress - it is an informative site dedicated to Payday Advance loans and cash advances, www.paydayadvance.biz
Stay tuned as I will divulge all my info on how to buy and sell domains!
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Hello everyone, it has been some time since I have updated the blog. I have finally decided to go back to school since I have been out of job for about 4 months. I have been selling domain names to cover the costs but I’m barely surviving. I just recently started my MBA classes and will be finished in one year. I will try to update the blog on a more frequent basis.
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It’s been a few months since I’ve last posted but I have been extremely busy with my new job. So, where did I leave off? Ah yes, the economy….it’s kind of hard keeping a straight face while typing because our economy is the epitome of a bad joke. The world’s super power is bailing out banks and the auto industry for about $735 billion dollars, unemployment is creeping to scary levels, foreclosures are rampant, and most of us are rubbing our last two pennies together at the most inopportune time: Christmas. [...]
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The “New” 90210 debuted on Tuesday with a lot of eager expectations. The majority of viewers were fans of the original 90210 which first aired in 1990. In order to lure the earlier viewers into the new series the producers integrated many of the stars such as: Shannen Doherty, Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth from the original series. Granted, that is a great plan to win back half hearted viewers but how long can they incorporate them without their presence being static. Many of the people watching are too young to have seen The 90210 and are enticed by a West Coast rendition of Gossip Girls. It seems that the CW’s intention is to emmulate a trans-series cross between The 90210 and Gossip Girls; the problem is that most of the components were not transplanted correctly. Read More>>>
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Sorry for the two week lapse in posts but I have not had an Internet connection since moving to Cali. I moved to L.A and am relishing every second despite the proverbial pickle I am in. Yeah, I moved out here with no job and whats even worse is the fact that I followed a woman here. Now I have to not only support myself but I have to prove to my fiance that I am not a loser. I had an interview last week for a content operations and editorial assistant position with a start up company in Venice Beach. I hope that it works out, for my fiance’s benefit as well as my own. I will be updating the blog regularly, so stay tuned!
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Senator John McCain
I just found out that in 1936 Senator and Presidential candidate John McCain was born in Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone. So, who the hell cares where McCain was born, right? Wrong, the U.S constitution states that, “Clause 5. No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been Fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. ” It clearly states that a presidential candidate must be a natural born citizen, which McCain is not. McCain was born on a U.S naval base not in the United States itself. Read More>>>
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The Olympics have been a main focus of this blog for many reasons; reasons that are just understood. The Olympics come around every four years and now that they are under way I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to decide who is the hottest female Olympian of Beijing. Before there is any uproar from the female readers I will be adding a poll for the hottest (sounds weird typing this in my head) male athlete. The only dilemma with the male poll is that I am no expert on the male anatomy so I may need some help from my female readers. Without further ado here is the list of candidates, if there is anyone missing from the list that you would like to add just comment or email me.
The following candidates are listed in no particular order:
#1 Blanka Vlašić — Croatia, High Jump
She Can Vault with my pole anytime!
# 2 Maria Sharapova - Russia, Tennis
She makes balls disappear!
#3 Biba Golic - Seriba, Table Tennis
Table Tennis Has Never Looked THIS Hot
#4 Nikki Gudex - England, Mountain Biking
I just flipped over my handlebars
#5 Jennie Finch - USA, Softball
Apparently too hot to wear clothes
#6 Natalie Gulbis - USA, Golf
I wonder if she would play with my putter
#7 Allison Stokke - USA, Pole Vaulting
I'd like to see her work the stripper pole
#8 Yelena Isinbayeva - Russia, Pole Vaulting
She could probably get great leverage using my .....
#9 Bia and Branca Feres - Brazil, Synchronzied Swimming
What more could you ask for....TWINS!
Just as hot from the front!!!
#10 Amy Taylor - Australia, Football
I'll show her how to score
#11 Ana Ivanovic - Serbia, Tennis
She's asking for an overhead smash
#12 Nastia Liukin - USA, Gymnastics
NASTY hot!
#13 Stephanie Rice - Australia, Swimming
I wear a one piece to..my birthday suit
#14 Amanda Beard - USA, Swimming
What a tease!
#15 Almudena Cid - Spain, Rythmic Gymnastics Team
Nice bathing suit
#16 Leryn Franco - Paraguay, Javelin
WOW!!!!
And now the moment of truth…vote for your favorite sexy Olympian
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It seems that the octopus that is recession is slowly spreading its tentacles around the entire world. Recession is starting to look more like a global pandemic than a domestic endemic. The U.S dollar is finally starting to come out of it’s slump and is making headway against the 5 major currencies; noted by the steady augmentation of the dollar index. The frightening part is that three of those 5 major currencies, the Euro, British Pound, and Yen, are flirting with recession. Read More>>>
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