Hurricanes
Rarely Hit Costa
Rica
Hurricanes
rarely hit Costa
Rica, the last
one was
Hurricane Cesár
which came
ashore on July
27, 1996 and
killed 41 people
and trashed the
Pacific
southwest in
Costa Rica’s
worst national
disaster in a
decades.
Even though
Costa Rica is in
the Caribbean,
because Costa
Rica is so far
south it is very
rare that a
hurricane
strikes land
over Costa Rica.
Hurricane
Cesár
(1996) before
landfall
In May 2008,
there was
Tropical Storm
Alma. Alma was
the first
tropical storm
on record to
strike the
Pacific coast of
Nicaragua. In
Costa Rica,
heavy rainfall
caused flooding
and landslides,
killing two and
causing $35
million (USD) in
damage.
For 2010, U.S.
meteorologists
say they expect
an above-average
number of
Atlantic basin
hurricanes to
develop during
this year's
hurricane
season. The
Colorado State
University
hurricane
forecasting team
predicts the
season to be a
"harsh" one.
The 2010
Hurricane Season
in the Atlantic
Ocean will begin
on June 1, 2010,
and end on
November 30,
2010.
Hurricane
Cesár (1996)
track. Uses the
color scheme
from the Saffir-Simpson
Hurricane Scale.
Atlantic
hurricanes
affect the
eastern and Gulf
coasts of the
U.S. and the
Caribbean
nations. Those
with interests
in
hurricane-prone
areas must heed
federal and
state advice on
preparedness,
the season in
general, and
each specific
storm in the
season.
Colorado State
University's
forecasters
report that
eight hurricanes
are expected for
the 2010 season.
Four of the
season's
hurricanes are
expected to
strengthen and
become major
hurricanes. This
means that these
four, if they do
in fact become
major
hurricanes,
would ultimately
receive a rating
of at least a
category 3
storm.
Category 3
storms are
defined by the
Saffir-Simpson
scale. The
Saffir-Simpson
scale indicates
that such a
storm must have
winds of at
least 111mph;
and that these
winds be
sustained for a
period of time.
University
forecasters
William Gray and
Phil Klotzbach
each stated that
El Niño
conditions will
likely dissipate
by summer. In
addition they
believe that the
warm tropical
Atlantic sea
surface
temperatures
will not drop
and will remain
at the current
temperatures.
These
temperatures
have reportedly
been much warmer
than usual.
Because of this
phenomenon, Gray
and Klotzbach
indicate that
the 2010
hurricane season
will be
above-average.
Specifically,
they said that
the
warmer-than-average
sea surface
temperatures
will "[lead] to
favorable
conditions for
hurricanes to
develop and
intensify.
2010 Hurricane
Names
1. Hurricane
Alex
2. Hurricane
Bonnie
3. Hurricane
Colin
4. Hurricane
Danielle
5. Hurricane
Earl
6. Hurricane
Fiona
7. Hurricane
Gaston
8. Hurricane
Hermine
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