tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:/xml/hurricanes1hurricanes news from mongabay.com2012-03-11T00:15:41Ztag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/92392012-03-11T00:05:00Z2012-03-11T00:15:41ZAppeal for help as death toll in Madagascar tops 110 from tropical stormMore than 110 are dead and 330,000 homeless after two tropical storms battered Madagascar over the past month, says the island nation's disaster management agency.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/88732011-12-20T17:43:00Z2011-12-20T17:46:32ZPhilippines disaster may have been worsened by climate change, deforestation <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/j/611398main_20111216_washi3-MODIS-FULL.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>As the Philippines begins to bury more than a 1,000 disaster victims in mass graves, Philippine President Benigno Aquino has ordered an investigation into last weekend's flash flood and landslide, including looking at the role of illegal logging. Officials have pointed to both climate change and vast deforestation as likely exacerbating the disaster.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/83192011-08-23T23:32:00Z2011-09-06T13:21:24ZReducing Disaster Risks: Progress and Challenges in the Caribbean RegionDisaster management is a global policy problem with a critical land-use change component related to settlement patterns, deforestation, and agriculture development. This is further exacerbated by climate change. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/72512011-01-04T02:38:00Z2011-01-04T02:40:33ZDid Haiti's deforestation, hurricane trigger deadly earthquake?Erosion caused by hurricanes and large-scale deforestation may have contributed to last year's devastating earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people in Haiti, according to a geologist at the University of Miami.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/70642010-11-15T19:41:00Z2010-11-15T20:05:35ZPictures: Belize Zoo devastated by hurricaneThe world famous Belize Zoo is closed until further notice after suffering a direct hit from Hurricane Richard, which leveled trees and inflicted heavy damage on wire fences. The zoo has send out an urgent plea for building materials and funds to help with recovery. None of the facility's animals or staff were injured.
Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/51342009-11-16T23:54:00Z2009-11-17T00:18:22ZCoastal habitats may sequester 50 times more carbon than tropical forests by area<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/troufs/belize_0252-1.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Highly endangered coastal habitats are incredibly effective in sequestering carbon and locking it away in soil, according to a new paper in a report by the IUCN. The paper attests that coastal habitats—such as mangroves, sea grasses, and salt marhses—sequester as much as 50 times the amount of carbon in their soil per hectare as tropical forest. "The key difference between these coastal habitats and forests is that mangroves, seagrasses and the plants in salt marshes are extremely efficient at burying carbon in the sediment below them where it can stay for centuries or even millennia."Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/49232009-09-01T23:59:00Z2009-09-04T13:19:55ZPhotos of 10 strongest storms of the 2000sNASA has released a collection of satellite images showing the strongest storms of each year over the past decade.
Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/46472009-06-17T17:50:00Z2009-06-17T18:47:19ZNew report predicts dire consequences for every U.S. region from global warming <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/troufs/gb4_111-2.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Government officials and scientists released a 196 page report detailing the impact of global warming on the U.S. yesterday. The study, commissioned in 2007 during the Bush Administration, found that every region of the U.S. faces large-scale consequences due to climate change, including higher temperatures, increased droughts, heavier rainfall, more severe weather, water shortages, rising sea levels, ecosystem stresses, loss of biodiversity, and economic impacts. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/45122009-04-27T20:46:00Z2009-04-30T18:34:57ZTropical storms affect carbon sinks by knocking down forestsStudying nearly a hundred and fifty years of tropical storm landfalls in the United States, researchers have discovered that the storm systems have a sizeable impact on forest carbon sinks due to the large-scale destruction of trees. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/44382009-04-01T21:03:00Z2009-04-13T20:25:00ZRevolutionary new theory overturns modern meteorology with claim that forests move rain<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/troufs/china_106-7282-1-1.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Two Russian scientists, Victor Gorshkov and Anastassia Makarieva of the St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics, have published a revolutionary theory that turns modern meteorology on its head, positing that forests—and their capacity for condensation—are actually the main driver of winds rather than temperature. While this model has widespread implications for numerous sciences, none of them are larger than the importance of conserving forests, which are shown to be crucial to 'pumping' precipitation from one place to another. The theory explains, among other mysteries, why deforestation around coastal regions tends to lead to drying in the interior.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/522008-12-01T14:30:39Z2008-12-16T10:06:18Z2008 Atlantic hurricane season second costliest on recordYesterday marked the end of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, which goes down as the second costliest (in nominal terms) on record at $54 billion, according to the National Climatic Data Center. The damages trail only 2005 — the year that Hurricane Katrina and other storms caused $128 billion in damages.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/33522008-09-03T14:30:39Z2008-12-16T10:15:26ZPowerful hurricanes may be getting stronger due to warmer seasWarming climate is causing the strongest hurricanes to strengthen and more moderate storms to stay the same, claims a new study published in <i>Nature</i>. However the data on which research is based is already facing fierce criticism.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/33542008-09-02T14:30:39Z2008-12-16T10:15:26ZScientist forecast 4 Atlantic hurricanes in SeptemberProminent hurricane researchers are forecasting five tropical storms in the Atlantic for September, including four hurricanes. Two of these are expected to be "major" — category 3 or greater. Retired Colorado State University climatologist William Gray and Philip J. Klotzbach, who has taken over Gray's role as lead hurricane forecaster, estimate that Atlantic storms in September will be twice as active as normal.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/31842008-08-31T14:30:39Z2008-12-16T10:14:48ZCould hurricane Gustav be stopped or diverted?With Gustav threatening to become the second major hurricane to hit New Orleans in three years, the question emerges, is there something that could be done to redirect or at least diminish storms from major population areas? In short, the answer is no, although someday there may be ways to reduce the intensity of these tropical storms. In the meantime, the best option is to avoid new construction in hurricane-prone regions.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/30302008-06-24T14:30:39Z2008-12-16T10:14:19Z69% of Floridians believe coast threatened by rising sea levels69 percent of Floridians believe that parts of the state's coasts may need to be abandoned due to rising sea levels over the next 50 years according to a new survey conducted by researchers at Yale University and the University of Miami.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/29562008-05-22T14:30:39Z2008-12-16T10:14:04Z2008 hurricane forecast: storm activity will be above normalThe U.S. government's weather agency predicts an above average Atlantic hurricane season this year.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/29752008-05-18T14:30:39Z2008-12-16T10:14:08ZGlobal warming will produce fewer hurricanesGlobal warming will produce fewer Atlantic hurricanes, according to a study published today in the journal <i>Nature Geoscience</i> by a U.S. government meteorologist.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/29972008-05-13T14:30:39Z2008-12-16T10:14:14ZMassive deforestation of mangroves may have worsened scale of disaster in BurmaWeeks after the devastating cyclone Nagris struck Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta on May 2nd, scientists and the media are debating the role in the scale of the disaster played by the region's deforestation of mangroves. According to recent studies, mangrove forests act as a buffer against the effect's of tropical storms like Nagris, though scientists don't yet fully understand the relationship between storm mitigation and mangroves.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/27022008-02-22T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:48:00ZCyclone batters Madagascar29 people were reported dead after Cyclone Ivan, a category 3 storm, struck Madagascar. The storm flooded key rice-producing regions in the country and comes a month after Cyclone Fame killed 13 on the island.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/25362007-12-12T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:47:26ZNatural climate variations have larger effect on hurricanes than global warmingNatural climate variations, which tend to involve localized changes in sea surface temperature, may have a larger effect on hurricane activity than the more uniform patterns of global warming, a report in this week's Nature suggests.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/25572007-12-07T14:30:39Z2008-12-16T10:12:51ZHurricane forecast calls for 7 hurricanes, 3 major, in 2008Hurricane forecasters William Gray and Philip Klotzbach are predicting a "somewhat above-average" hurricane season for 2008. The Colorado State University researchers anticipate seven Atlantic hurricanes, three of them "major" (category 3 or higher), during the 2008 season. In total 13 named storms in the Atlantic are expected.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/24392007-11-28T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:47:06ZHistorical records of Atlantic hurricanes are accurate says studyCounting tropical storms that occurred before the advent of aircraft and satellites relies on ships logs and hurricane landfalls, making many believe that the numbers of historic tropical storms in the Atlantic are seriously undercounted. However, a statistical model based on the climate factors that influence Atlantic tropical storm activity shows that the estimates currently used are only slightly below modeled numbers and indicate that the numbers of tropical storms in the recent past are increasing, according to researchers.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/24722007-11-15T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:47:13ZHurricane Katrina released large amounts of carbon by destroying 320m treesThe destruction of 320 million large trees by Hurricane Katrina reduced the capacity of forests in the Southern United States to soak up carbon, reports a new study published in the journal Science. The research shows that hurricanes and other natural disturbances "can affect a landscape's potential as a 'carbon sink' because the dead vegetation then decays, returning carbon to the atmosphere, and because the old vegetation is replaced by smaller, younger plants."Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/23382007-09-07T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:46:45ZFelix Death Toll Washes Up on CoastlineNicaraguan and Honduran officials have announced that upwards of 100 people are confirmed dead, and another 120 still unaccounted for after Hurricane Felix made landfall earlier this week.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/23582007-09-04T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:46:49ZFelix: first time two Category-5 storms hit land in same seasonHurricane Felix made landfall in Nicaragua around 7:45 a.m. Eastern Time as a Category 5 storm with top winds at 160 mph (260 km/h), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/22242007-08-21T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:46:22ZDean was 3rd most intense Atlantic hurricane at landfallHurricane Dean was the third most intense Atlantic hurricane to make landfall, according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center who measured the storm's central atmospheric pressure.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/22282007-08-20T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:46:23ZCould a hurricane hit California?San Diego has been hit by hurricanes in the past and could be affected by such storms in the future according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). While a hurricane in San Diego would likely produce significantly less damage than Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, it could still exact a high cost to Southern California especially if the region was caught off guard.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/22632007-08-10T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:46:30ZU.S. government weather agency cuts hurricane outlookThe U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday reduced its forecast for the number of tropical storms and hurricanes expected during the 2007 Atlantic season. NOAA said it now expected between 13 and 16 named storms, with seven to nine becoming hurricanes and three to five of them classified as "major" hurricanes (categories 3, 4, or 5).Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/22972007-08-06T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:46:36Z2007 hurricane season downgraded, questions over climate role remainHurricane researcher William Gray from Colorado State University cut his 2007 hurricane season outlook, saying there will likely be fewer storms than previously projected due to weak La Niña conditions and more atmospheric dust from Africa.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/20912007-07-24T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:45:57Z2007 hurricane season to be weaker than expected says forecasterWSI Corp, a private forecaster, cut its 2007 hurricane season outlook, saying there will likely be fewer storms than previously projected, reports Reuters.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/21082007-07-17T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:46:00ZHurricanes can help coral reefsA close call with a hurricane can be beneficial to a stressed coral reef, reports a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/18462007-05-31T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:45:11ZHurricanes may help cool climateTropical cyclones and hurricanes play an important role in the ocean circulation patterns that transport heat and maintain the climate of North America and Europe, report researchers from Purdue University.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/18532007-05-31T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:45:12Z9 Atlantic hurricanes expected in 2007Hurricane forecaster William M. Gray of the Colorado State University updated his hurricane predictions for the 2007 storm season, expecting 17 named storms and nine hurricanes in the Atlantic basin. The forecasts were unchanged from his last bulletin.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/18672007-05-28T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:45:14ZHurricanes occur during cool periods as wellA team of scientists have found evidence of intense hurricane activity during both cool and warm periods reports The New York Times. The findings suggest that factors other than sea temperature play a role in the formation and intensity of tropical storms.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/17912007-04-17T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:45:00ZWind shear could reduce future hurricane activityThe debate over the impact of global warming on hurricane intensity rages on with a new study published April 18 in Geophysical Research Letters. The research, conducted by Gabriel A. Vecchi of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Brian J. Soden of the University of Miami, suggests that an increase in vertical wind shear in the tropical Atlantic and East Pacific Oceans could inhibit the formation and intensification of hurricanes. The authors note that increased vertical wind shear has historically been associated with reduced hurricane activity and intensity.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/18292007-04-03T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:45:08ZSixth cyclone hits Madagascar; impact 'like tsunami'As the sixth mayor cyclone to hit Madagascar this season tears across the northeast of the impoverished Indian ocean island, a relentless succession of natural disasters has left nearly half a million people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/18332007-04-03T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:45:08Z2007 hurricane season will be 'very active' but not due to global warming<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/07/0403jlm.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Developing La Nina conditions, not global warming, should make the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season 'very active' according to a top U.S. hurricane forecaster. William Gray of the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University said he expects 17 named storms this year, including 9 hurricanes. He says there is a 74 percent chance that a category 3, 4, or 5 hurricane will hit the U.S. coastline (the historic average for the past century is 52 percent) and a 49 percent chance that such a storm would hit the Gulf Coast of the United States (versus an average of 30 percent for the past century).Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/18342007-04-02T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:45:08ZDeadly cyclones hurt conservation efforts in Madagascar<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/07/0301hurricanes.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>As Madagascar braces for the arrival of the sixth major cyclone (Gaya) to hit the Indian Ocean island this season, researchers from a prominent conservation have asked for help in the relief and recovery effort. Local officials with the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife conservation Society say that the series of storms have left tens of thousands of people homeless, devastated croplands, and diverted already short funds from conservation activities.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/16202007-03-30T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:44:29ZMadagascar needs relief help after deadly cyclones<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/07/0330mad0.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A deadly cyclone has struck one of the most biologically diverse parts of the planet, forcing people from their homes and damaging their only source of livelihood. Cyclone Indlala has displaced more than 100,000 people and caused widespread crop losses in northeastern Madagascar according to reports from relief organizations. 100-mph (165 km/h) winds and heavy rains caused considerable damage in coastal areas in the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean island. 95 people were reported dead but there are fears of spreading water-borne disease.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/16342007-03-27T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:44:31ZMadagascar cyclones may be boon to vanilla marketA string of destructive cyclones that have struck the Indian island nation of Madagascar, off the southeastern coast of Africa, may serve as a boon to the depressed vanilla market. Madagascar, the largest producer of vanilla, will likely see production fall due to the havoc wreaked by the storms, which displaced more than 100,000 people. At the same time, the reduction in supply is sure to boost prices for other growers able to bring product to market.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/17392007-03-01T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:44:49ZGlobal warming is causing stronger Atlantic hurricanes finds new study<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/07/0301hurricanes.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Global warming is fueling stronger hurricanes according to a new Geophysical Research Letters study that revises that database of historic hurricanes. Previously the hurricane database was considered inconsistent for measuring the record of tropical storms since there have been significant improvements in the technology to measure storms since recording-keeping began. Before the development of weather satellites, scientists relied on ship reports and sailor logs to record storms. The advent of weather satellites in the 1960s improved monitoring, but records from newer technology have never been squared with older data. The new study normalizes the hurricane record since 1983.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14822007-01-29T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:44:08ZCaves may reveal if global warming is causing stronger hurricanes<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/06/0829.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Scientists have shown that cave formations could help settle the contentious debate on whether hurricanes are strengthening in intensity due to global warming. Measuring oxygen isotope variation in stalagmites in Actun Tunichil Muknal cave in central Belize, a team of researchers have identified evidence of rainfall from 11 tropical cyclones over a 23 year period (1978-2001). The research -- the study of ancient storms is called paleotempestology -- could help create a record of hurricanes that would help researchers understand hurricane frequency and intensity. "Tropical cyclones (including hurricanes, tropical storms, typhoons, and cyclones) produce rainwater that is different from other summertime precipitation," explained Amy Benoit Frappier, an assistant professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at Boston College and lead author of the study published in Geology. "Tropical cyclones produce isotopically light rainwater primarily because 1) their cloud tops are very high and cold, and 2) their humid air tends to prevent lighter water molecules from evaporating back out of the raindrop as they fall."Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14842007-01-26T14:30:39Z2008-12-29T06:44:08ZIs global warming causing stronger hurricanes? Caves may hold the answerScientists have shown that cave formations could help settle the contentious debate on whether hurricanes are strengthening in intensity due to global warming. Measuring oxygen isotope variation in stalagmites in Actun Tunichil Muknal cave in central Belize, a team of researchers lead by Amy Benoit Frappier of Boston College have identified evidence of rainfall from 11 tropical cyclones over a 23 year period. The research -- the study of ancient storms is called paleotempestology -- could help create a record of hurricanes that would help researchers understand hurricane frequency and intensity. Currently, reliable history for hurricanes only dates back a generation or so. Prior to that, the official hurricane records kept by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Atlantic basin hurricane database (HURDAT) are controversial at best since storm data from more than 20 years ago is not nearly as accurate as current hurricane data due to improvements in tracking technology. The lack of a credible baseline makes it nearly impossible to accurately compare storm frequency and strength over the period.
Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14062006-12-15T06:00:39Z2008-12-29T06:43:56Z2006 is sixth warmest year, but hurricanes below average2006 will be the sixth-warmest year on record according to the World Meteorological Organization (WHO). The United Nations weather agency said the ten hottest years have all occurred in the past 12 years. 2005 was the warmest year since record keeping began 150 years ago, according to the agency.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12662006-11-30T21:00:39Z2008-12-29T06:43:35ZSaved by el Nino! Warm Pacific means fewer hurricanesEl Nino's to blame for the quiet 2006 hurricane season according to researchers at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). While some climate scientists forecast a big hurricane year in 2006, the official six-month season produced only nine tropical storms and hurricanes, below the average of 11. For the first time since 1997, there were no Category 4 or 5 hurricanes, the strongest type of storm. 2005 saw the worst hurricane season on record with 28 storms including 3 category 5 storms: Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Hurricane Katrina caused some $80 billion in damage as it destroyed the city of New Orleans.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13332006-11-08T03:00:39Z2008-12-29T06:43:45ZNew map shows paths of historic hurricanesNASA posted a new historic hurricane map showing all storm tracks available from the National Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center through September 2006. The map was created by Robert A. Rohde of Global Warming Art.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12402006-10-09T18:58:39Z2008-12-29T06:43:31ZDust may weaken Atlantic hurricanesSahara Desert dust may weaken Atlantic hurricanes according to a new study published in the latest issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/11382006-09-29T20:08:39Z2008-12-29T06:43:18ZNo mention of climate change in new hurricane research reportStrangely missing from a new hurricane research report from the National Science Board, a policymaking body of the National Science Foundation (NSF), is any mention of climate change.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/11472006-09-27T02:29:39Z2008-12-29T06:43:19ZBush administration blocks report linking hurricanes to global warmingThe Bush administration blocked release of a report suggesting that global warming is contributing to the frequency and strength of hurricanes, the journal Nature reported Tuesday. According to Nature, a panel of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists drafted a February report that linked recent hurricane activity to human-induced climate change. When the study was scheduled to be released in May, officials at the Commerce Department rejected the report on technical grounds and prohibited its publication.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/11672006-09-20T05:29:39Z2008-12-29T06:43:22ZTree rings could settle global warming hurricane debateScientists have shown that ancient tree rings could help settle the debate as to whether hurricanes are strengthening in intensity due to global warming. By measuring different isotopes of oxygen present in the rings, Professors Claudia Mora and Henri Grissino-Mayer of the University of Tennessee have identified periods when hurricanes hit areas of the Southeastern United States up to 500 years ago. The research could help create a record of hurricanes that would help researchers understand hurricane frequency and intensity. Currently reliable history for hurricanes only dates back a generation or so. Prior to that, the official hurricane records kept by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Atlantic basin hurricane database (HURDAT) are controversial at best since storm data from more than 20 years ago is not nearly as accurate as current hurricane data due to improvements in tracking technology. The lack of a credible baseline makes it nearly impossible to accurately compare storm frequency and strength over the period.Rhett Butler