Claims News Service, May 16, 9:59 a.m. EDT -- TheAccuWeather.com Hurricane Center, led by Chief Forecaster JoeBastardi, is predicting an active hurricane season, which it sayscould have major repercussions for the U.S. economy. According toAccuweather's web site, Bastardi and his team are forecasting thatsix tropical cyclones will make landfall in the U.S for the 2006hurricane season. Five of these land-falling storms are likely tobe hurricanes, with three being major hurricanes of Category 3 orgreater. "The 2006 season will be a creeping threat," saidBastardi, in a report found here. "Early in the season-June andJuly-the Texas Gulf Coast faces the highest likelihood of ahurricane strike, possibly putting Gulf energy production in theline of fire. As early as July, and through much of the rest of theseason, the highest level of risk shifts to the Carolinas. Frommid-August into early October, the window is open for hurricanestrikes to spread northward to the more densely populated Northeastcoast. At the very end of the season, southern Florida also facessignificant hurricane risk." In an article published shortly afterthe end of the 2005 hurricane season, weather researchers at theDepartment of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State Universitypredicted that nine storms would become hurricanes, of which fivewould become "intense" hurricanes ranking at or above the Category3 status on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

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