The 2010 hurricane season is off to a slow start and for all of us who worry about Florida hurricane damage that is a good thing. Even though things have gotten off to a slow start hurricane forecasters are warning Floridians not to let their guard down as there is still a good chance we could have an active Atlantic hurricane season.

The revised storm forecast from August 5 was slightly down from the original prediction for 2010 but it was still higher than the average. Researchers are now predicting upwards of 20 storms and as many as 12 of those to become hurricanes. So far this hurricane season has produced two tropical storms and another couple hurricanes. According to a story on TBO.com hurricane researchers say none of the conditions that led them to predict an active hurricane season have changed up to this point.

The Atlantic hurricane season is just getting ready to heat up as the calendar approaches September. This is the point in time that the Atlantic becomes a breeding ground for storms according to the TBO.com story. Currently there are two potential threats already brewing in the Atlantic. It is the first of the Cape Verde storms that do not start to form until this time of year due to conditions in Africa where the storms form.

The hurricane activity has been at a very high level since 1995 due to much warmer temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and trade winds that have been weakened. Both of these factors play a role in Florida hurricane development. This has played a big role in the amount of dangerous hurricanes in October, which were very rare up until recently. There has been one hurricane with winds of more than 100 MPH on average each year in October since 1995.

Tropical storm Bonnie was the second Atlantic tropical storm of the 2010 Florida hurricane season. Anticipated to be one of the worst hurricane seasons ever on record, the 2010 season kicked off early with Hurricane Alex. Alex narrowly missed Texas and made landfall in Mexico just south of the border, causing flooding and evacuations. While Floridians may have been lucky so far the odds and predictions are high that either or both of Florida’s coasts will suffer the brunt of one or possibly multiple major hurricanes this year.

Early in July there was a tropical wave that emerged from Africa. While passing the Lesser Antilles this tropical wave showed signs of development on July 17th. As it organized it’s self over a few days and continued to move west, northwest the National Hurricane Center classified it as Tropical Depression. The same afternoon the National Hurricane Center upgraded it to tropical storm classification, naming it Bonnie, the second named storm of the season. On July 23rd in the morning Bonnie made landfall on Florida’s southeast coast at Cutler Bay in south Miami-Dade County. Moving across the state and into the Gulf of Mexico it was downgraded to only a tropical depression. The NHC then said that Bonnie had dissipated, though the remnants of the tropical storm continued and moved on shore hitting Louisiana and Mississippi in the morning on July 25th. Severe tornado and thunderstorm warnings were issued in the area.

Before being recognized as a tropical depression, Bonnie had dropped significant rain on Puerto Rico and Hispanola creating large scale flooding. Puerto Rico saw one dead due to drowning from the floods and the Dominican Republic issued a mandatory evacuation for around 6,500 residents. Dominican Republic officials said that it received more than 4 inches of rain which resulted in the collapse of bridges, isolating several towns. Haiti also reported flooding and on July 22nd Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana declared a state of emergency.

The next tropical storm of the 2010 hurricane season will be named Colin followed by Danielle. The core of the hurricane season is yet to come with the worst months historically being August and September. With over 20 storms expected this season, many of which predicted to become hurricanes those in Florida who have not yet made plans and prepared themselves for the worst must act quickly to ready themselves. Even the lowest predictions from experts at NOAA (the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration) and Colorado State University expect at least 8 actual hurricanes and 4 to 7 major hurricanes.

With the trend on the up for more active hurricane seasons sharply increasing since 2004 Florida residents should certainly now know there is no room for complacency. What exactly is in store over the next few years is uncertain, Though we should start seeing forecasts and predictions for 2011 by CSU and the NOAA being released by December.

Names for tropical storms for the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season include:

●     Arlene

●     Bret

●     Cindy

●     Don

●     Emily

●     Franklin

●     Gert

●     Harvey

●     Irene

●     Jose

●     Katia

●     Lee

●     Maria

●     Nate

●     Ophelia

●     Philippe

●     Rina

●     Sean

●     Tammy

●     Vince

●     Whitney

It looks like forecaster’s predictions and fears of a tumultuous 2010 hurricane season are definitely warranted. The 2010 hurricane season kicked off with its first storm early and caused the first wave of evacuations and hurricane property damage.

2010’s first major storm, hurricane Alex hit Mexico’s gulf coast in June forcing the need for evacuations in both the US and Mexico. Thankfully hurricane Alex made landfall on a relatively unpopulated area of coastline, but narrowly missing Brownsville, Texas by about 100 miles according to the US National Hurricane Center. The hurricane flirted with Florida’s west coast.

While far from the devastation of a major hurricane of previous years, Alex still disrupted lives and caused hurricane damage to homes effecting many and is clearly a warning that there is likely much worse to come this year. The initial effects of hurricane Alex began by creating large waves that were made even more serious by the oil spill in the gulf resulting in crude oil being pushed up onto beaches and threatening businesses. 110 mph winds and heavy rain battered the coastline and nearby villages resulting in over 30 neighborhoods being flooded just across the border from Texas, leaving rescue services using boats to search and save those stranded.

Florida residents may have escaped the brunt of this first hurricane of 2010 but should use this opportunity and warning to begin preparing for the numerous other tropical storms and hurricanes expected to hit this season. Even though this storm hit Mexico, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida all saw 6 foot waves hitting their shores bringing in tar balls and oil, further dampening fishing and tourism. Hurricane Colin the third storm of the season is the first Atlantic hurricane of the season that is expected could well have a much more tragic impact Florida.

Even though Alex was just a category 2 hurricane and hit an area with a small population, 5,000 residents were evacuated. Many of these people and families were unprepared and escaped just with the clothes on their backs. Certainly a situation no one wants to be in, especially with the uncertainly as to the safety of the rest of their belongings, homes and jobs. Keep in mind the wide sweeping effects that hurricanes can have and that can cause flooding, storms and tornadoes hundreds of miles away from the center of a hurricane. Texas experienced this with more than 1,000 residents without power and two tornadoes being spun off by Alex.

Remember when a hurricane is actually in the ‘box’, it is too late to upgrade your home owner’s insurance and the mad scramble for extra supplies, cash and evacuations can mean a lack of the things you need and the inability to protect yourself, your family and your property effectively. The time to prepare if you have not already done it is now. This means stocking up on water and food, checking your insurance policy, having the right tools and equipment to protect your home on hand and cleaning up the exterior of your property and landscaping to prevent damage. Just as importantly, make sure you have the number of an experienced attorney who specializes in helping with hurricane damage claims with you so and know the best procedures for getting the payout you deserve in case of property damage.

We are already in the midst of hurricane season in Florida and there is bad news as Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa and Miami are the most vulnerable to hurricanes this season according to a new study. The Weather Channel compiled a list of the top five areas most at risk to hurricane damage and three major cities in Florida were in the top three.

According to The Weather Channel’s study, the most vulnerable area in America when it comes to likely hurricane damage is Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, who were grouped together to take the top spot in the study. New York City was second on the list followed by the Tampa Bay area. According to TBO.com the last major hurricane to hit Tampa was in 1921 and that was a category 3 storm causing plenty of hurricane damage.

The story says that the Tampa Bay area is susceptible to hurricanes for a few reasons. First, evacuation times could near 100 hours for the most powerful hurricanes like a category 5. Second, there has been intense development near water in the Tampa Bay area with high rises and multi-million dollar homes lining water front areas all over Tampa Bay. Third, the Tampa Bay area lacks elevation which could allow a hurricane to cause destruction far inland as it plows through a fairly flat landscape.

New Orleans, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, has long been considered the city that is most at risk from a direct strike according to experts but the Tampa Bay area was also considered a close second. The rankings take into account population, development and the length of time since the last major hurricane hit. For that reason New Orleans was left off this current list as well as Huston and Galveston, Texas.  Savannah, Georgia and Atlantic City, NJ were the last two cities in The Weather Channel’s top five.

With Florida hurricane season underway, government officials in Manatee County don’t want to be caught off guard by a Florida hurricane. County leaders are already preparing just in case they have to deal with a storm this season. MySuncoast.com is reporting that Manatee County emergency management leaders are currently in “lockdown” but just as an exercise.

The plan is to put the county’s emergency services to the test before they are in a real emergency. Florida hurricane damages can be severe to both personal property and for city government’s that are trying to provide vital services like medical care, emergency services and providing citizens basics like water and power. According to city officials they believe Manatee County is well prepared to deal with a hurricane but recovery is something they needed to work on.

Larry Leinhauser is the captain of Public Safety and he told MySuncoast.com that transitioning from a short term response to long term planning in a seamless manner is a difficult task for any city or county following a natural disaster.  He stressed that the initial decisions made in response to a hurricane can impact long term strategies.

The hurricane exercise in Manatee County lasted through the afternoon and officials believe they will have a much better grasp of how prepared Manatee County is for the long-term period of recovery which follows the initial devastation of a major hurricane.