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Hurricanes: Their Nature and Impacts on Society - Climate Science ...

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THE US HURRICANE PROBLEM<br />

Figure 2.3 Comparis<strong>on</strong> of intense (Saffir/Simps<strong>on</strong> Categories 3, 4, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> 5) hurricane<br />

tracks for (a) 1947-1969, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> (b) 1970-1987. Since 1989 there have been five<br />

l<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>falling intense hurricanes, Hugo (1989) Andrew (1992), Emily (1993), Opal (1995),<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Fran (1996). Graph provided by W. Gray<br />

The occurrence of Category 3, 4, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> 5 hurricanes al<strong>on</strong>g the US East Coast<br />

has a str<strong>on</strong>g correlati<strong>on</strong> with Sahel rainfall (Gray 1990; Gray <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> L<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>sea<br />

1992; Goldenberg <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Shapiro 1996). With a reliable predicti<strong>on</strong> of the ENSO<br />

cycle or western Sahel rainfall more than <strong>on</strong>e year ahead, it may be possible<br />

also to forecast reliably interannual hurricane occurrence. At present, however,<br />

such skills are in their infancy.<br />

Based <strong>on</strong> the work of Gray <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> others, there appears to be some statistical<br />

skill in predicting the level of hurricane activity in the Atlantic ocean, at least<br />

41

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