How Many Hurricanes?
Slate readers try to predict the number of storms that will hit the United States this year.
The Atlantic hurricane season, as it's officially known, is almost half over, yet no storm has yet made landfall on the continental United States. (There has been only one hurricane so far, Alex, and it missed Texas by about 110 miles.) The National Hurricane Center's updated prediction—issued just this month—is for a 90 percent chance of an "above-normal season," with seven to 11 hurricanes. But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency that oversees the hurricane center, is quite explicit that it "does not make seasonal hurricane landfall predictions." That's where you come in: How many hurricanes will make landfall on the continental United States this season?
The details: We will go by the official results from the National Hurricane Center. Only hurricanes count, not tropical storms, and anything that hits Hawaii or Alaska (unlikely, we realize) doesn't count, either. You can choose any number between 0 and 15 (which should be plenty high, since the season's almost half over and the most hurricanes ever to hit the States in one year is four). Hurricane season ends Nov. 30. This poll has closed. Please check back for reader predictions.
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