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Energy and Environment Reporting for Texas

Forecasters Say Summer Could Bring Fewer Hurricanes

The 2012 hurricane season is predicted to be relatively calm in comparison to past years, but meteorologists are still warning residents in coastal areas to take precautions, according to forecasters from Accuweather. The group said today that there is still a possibility of “home-grown” tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Fronts coming down during June and July could cause energy to break off and develop tropically,” Paul Pastelok, the lead long-range forecaster for Accuweather, said.

But even slow hurricane seasons can wreak havoc. On August 17,1992, during a relatively slow season, Hurricane Andrew slammed the East Coast, causing more than $26 billion in damage and killing more than 60 people.

“Get a hurricane plan together and get hurricane supplies in order, such as materials to mitigate property damage,” Kottlowski said, an Accuweather.com meteorologist. “Make a family plan for evacuation, including what to bring.”

Hurricane Rita, which hit the Texas coast in September 2005, still holds the record as the largest evacuation in history, displacing an estimated 3 million people.

In the slideshow above, you can see photos from some of the notable hurricanes of recent years.

Jillian Schantz Patrick is an intern with KUT News and StateImpact Texas. 

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