Date:8/2/2010

used the data that went into the Hurricane Risk Calculator to determine whether the wind risk from hurricanes is changing over time. Although they found that the frequency of hurricanes and major hurricanes is constant throughout time, there is an upward trend in the intensity of the strongest hurricanes in Florida. Intensification refers to the amount of increase in maximum wind speeds between hourly observations of a given hurricane.

"The strongest hurricanes appear to be getting stronger," Malmstadt said. "This is consistent with the increasing ocean heat content noted over the Gulf of Mexico and the western Caribbean."

However, the greater intensification rates do not necessarily mean that hurricanes are more intense at the point of landfall, she said, adding that additional study is needed to make that determination.

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Contact: Jill Malmstadt jcm07d@fsu.edu 414-704-2432 Florida State University Source:Eurekalert

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