Hurricane Season

June 4, 2009

You may Listen or download this story in .mp3 format. or as a .wav file

Profile America — Thursday, June 4th. The north Atlantic hurricane season is with us again, starting this week and running through November. The coastal areas of the states stretching from North Carolina to Texas are the most vulnerable to the crashing waves and high winds. In 1950, just over 10 million people lived in these areas — today that number is nearly 36 million. In those states, the population increased just over 250 percent during that time. Last year’s hurricane season saw eight hurricanes, five of them Category Three or higher in strength. This year’s first storm will be named Ana, the second Bill. The Weather Bureau officially began naming storms in 1950. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features, CB09-FF.11
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/013534.html