The chance of a major hurricane hitting U.S. shores is better than 50 percent this year, according to an April prediction by the Colorado State University forecast team. The team's outlook calls for 12 named storms to form in the Atlantic, with two expected to become intense hurricanes, during the June 1 to Nov. 30 hurricane season. Among the team's findings: o Six of the 12 storms are forecasted to become hurricanes o Of those six, two are expected to develop into major hurricanes (Categories 3, 4 or 5) with sustained winds of 111 mph or greater o The probability of a major hurricane making landfall along the U.S. coastline is 54 percent o A 32 percent chance that a major hurricane will make landfall on the U.S. East Coast, including the Florida Peninsula (the long-term average is 31 percent) o A 31 percent chance that a major hurricane will make landfall on the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle west to Brownsville (the long-term average is 30 percent) o The team also predicted average major hurricane landfall risk in the Caribbean.

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