2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Hurricane season has begun. The six-month Atlantic hurricane season begins Wednesday and continues through Nov. 30Forecasters said they expect five major hurricanes from an above-average season. Major hurricanes are storms with top winds of 111 mph and up. No major hurricanes have made U.S. landfall in five years, but forecasters warn that luck might not last.

“Most people are pretty lackadaisical about it because we haven’t had much in six years, but I do remember six years ago, so, yeah, it’s something to keep in the back of your mind,” said John Icart, a patron at the Starbucks in downtown West Palm Beach.

Forecasters said they expect 17 named storms, nine of which will develop into hurricanes. Emergency managers from Texas to Maine urge residents to develop disaster plans and determine whether they live in evacuation zones. First Alert severe weather expert Mike Lyons recalled the aftermath of hurricanes Frances, Wilma and Jean.

“When the sky was clear, when the sky was blue, after all those storms hit, 92 people lost their lives because we were not fully prepared for the aftermath of a hurricane,” Lyons said. The administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency also wants residents to make social media part of their disaster plans, now that FEMA posts on Twitter and the National Hurricane Center has a Facebook page.