Even the psychics say hit on South Florda in '06!

[Vortex]

Oddsmakers, psychics share predictions for 2006 hurricane season

By Ken Kaye
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted March 27 2006


Gulp.

With hurricane season two months away, a panel of "forecasters" projects a 2-to-1 chance a Category 2 system will slam South Florida this season, with the eye hitting Palm Beach County in September.



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Their prediction, however, wasn't derived under the strict, scientific process of analyzing dozens of atmospheric indicators. Rather, it was cobbled together relying on gut feelings, spiritual inspiration and a touch of incense.

That's because these "forecasters" are a loose collection of Las Vegas oddsmakers, a tarot card reader and a psychic, who normally project Oscar winners, football games and future romances.

But the South Florida Sun-Sentinel asked them to stretch their clairvoyant skills and foretell whether another rough summer is in the offing.

"I don't see any reason why this year would be any different than last year," said Wayne Allyn Root, a Las Vegas gambling prognosticator.

Kenny White, owner of Las Vegas Sports Consultants, puts the odds at 2-to-1 that another hurricane, similar in strength to Wilma, will hit here.

On the other hand, he forecasts an overall slower season than last year, putting the odds at 500-to-1 that 27 tropical systems again will form, as they did last year, the busiest and most destructive season on record. "I'd think odds would be really high that you wouldn't have back-to-back seasons like you just had," he said.

Perhaps most worrisome: Two South Florida psychics are in general agreement that a Category 2 hurricane will clobber the region.

Helane Lipson, a Boca Raton psychic who last year accurately predicted a hurricane would whack South Florida in late October, foresees a system striking Palm Beach sometime in September and leave "lots of water." At least, that's what the spirits are telling her, she said.

"What's coming up is more harmful than what we've already seen, believe it or not," she said, with a candle burning nearby, eyes shut tight. "The eye of the hurricane is close to where I am, hitting Boynton or Delray Beach."

Deborah Graham, a Boca Raton psychic consultant, also sees a Category 2 hitting Palm Beach County late in the season. The good news: Her tarot cards say the storm won't be as vicious as Wilma.

But, with incense and candles burning behind her, she noted, "We are going to see a rough hurricane season. On this prediction, I want to be wrong."

Lipson and Graham predict New Orleans will have a mild season, after being devastated by Hurricane Katrina last year. Yet Lipson foresees Mobile, Ala., getting bashed. Graham, who goes by Mrs. Graham, said Virginia might be in trouble.

Some Las Vegas oddsmakers say it's a good bet South Florida will escape another bad year. "Probability-wise, I'm saying this next year won't be quite as drastic," said, John Avello, of Wynn Las Vegas casino, who has accurately predicted American Idol winners and Super Bowl champions.

The problem is, Avello projected Brokeback Mountain would win an Oscar for best picture, when instead it was Crash.

T.J. Clark, lead handicapper for Las Vegas Wiseguys Sports Service, also said he doesn't expect the coming season to be as bad as last year's. "You set a record and it was a fluke," he said.

On the other hand, Clark prefers not to go too far out on a limb. His prediction for the next president: "I can guarantee it won't be George Bush."

Other oddsmakers admit they have no clue what's in store for South Florida this year.

"How am I supposed to know? I'm not a meteorologist," said Jay Kornegay, executive director of the Hilton SuperBook in Las Vegas.

The real hurricane forecasters base their seasonal outlooks on such factors as water temperatures, sea-surface pressures and major atmospheric influences, such as La Niña, a cooling condition of the Eastern Pacific Ocean that acts to promote hurricane formation.

William Gray, the noted hurricane prognosticator, for instance, has initially set a 1.9 percent chance of a hurricane hitting Broward County this year, a 3.1 percent chance in Palm Beach County and a 4.3 percent chance in Miami-Dade County.

Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami-Dade County, said instead of worrying about the odds, we should focus on being prepared.

"It just takes that one hurricane over your community to make for a bad year," he said.

Ken Kaye can be reached at kkaye@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7911.

[CHRISTY]

4.3 for miami dade i guess we are at the top of the list for chances of being hit!

[Ixolib]

Even the psychics say hit on South Florda in '06!

Well, then, obviously - it's a done deal!!

[Weatherfreak000]

Wow this is about as relevent as an Accuweather forecast.



Notice something interesing, all the people who are predicting the Florida hits are...wait..for it......FLORIDIANS. Wow, this news absolutely shocks me. But hell put a bunch of home residents anywhere in a room and ask them where the storms will go and it doesn't matter if they are in Texas all the way to North Carolina they're gonna say the storm is coming to them.


I see this is a Florida Newspaper, putting Floridians in a situation with them saying they're getting smacked. No offense but that's a publicity stunt at best. And it happens EVERYWHERE. I can't tell you how many articles i've read here in Louisiana saying we're gonna be taking the bad storms.


It's all about money, folks. As for me, I think i'm gonna stick to weather patterns and ignore the washed up "psychics"

[zoeyann]

They are saying it will be mild for South Louisiana. I feel soooo releived

[Weatherfreak000]

They are saying it will be mild for South Louisiana. I feel soooo releived

Yeah but if you open up the Times you'll see them claiming up and down we're gonna get smacked.


It's all about working your crowd guys

[cheezyWXguy]

what do they say about Texas?

[gatorcane]

I don't believe in pyschics sorry.

[CajunMama]

Are these the same psychics that say Elvis is still alive?

[feederband]

I will do the coin flip method..

Heads you will get hit....
Tails you wont....

Ok here we go flipping...

TAILS!!!!

Disclaimer ------ Even though this official test came up tails. You should still take all precautions in south Florida..Like board up you house now ,leave come back in December or maybe January..

[gtalum]

Psychics predict a hurricane hit in South Florida? Oh my gosh, they're really going out on a limb on that one!

[zoeyann]

Thats kind of like predicting water coming out of the faucet.

I just do not feel off the hook because a psyic said so. Although it is an interesting story.

[Patrick99]

You could predict hits on S. FL and North Carolina every year and your numbers wouldn't be that terrible.

The whole idea of hurricane odds/probability seems silly to me. Just because we got hit the last couple years doesn't make it any more or less likely that we'll be hit this year.

The weather doesn't keep a running list of who's been hit and who hasn't. There isn't a little gnome with a clipboard running around up there saying "oh, __________ already had two hurricanes last year, so we won't send one that way this year."

[skysummit]

These kind of predictions are just becoming pathetic.

Hey...how about this for a prediction...

I say Florida has a better chance of getting hit simply because of all your coastline and that you stick out in the ocean like a sore thumb. Yup...that's it, watch out!

[Pearl River]

How come none of these psychics have won the Powerball lottery?

[jax]

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=82608

[SouthFloridawx]

Wow this is about as relevent as an Accuweather forecast.


Notice something interesing, all the people who are predicting the Florida hits are...wait..for it......FLORIDIANS. Wow, this news absolutely shocks me. But hell put a bunch of home residents anywhere in a room and ask them where the storms will go and it doesn't matter if they are in Texas all the way to North Carolina they're gonna say the storm is coming to them.


I see this is a Florida Newspaper, putting Floridians in a situation with them saying they're getting smacked. No offense but that's a publicity stunt at best. And it happens EVERYWHERE. I can't tell you how many articles i've read here in Louisiana saying we're gonna be taking the bad storms.


It's all about money, folks. As for me, I think i'm gonna stick to weather patterns and ignore the washed up "psychics"

Good One chalk one up for storm2k.


S2K - 1
Accuweather - 0

[southerngale]

Even the psychics say hit on South Florda in '06!

Well, then, obviously - it's a done deal!!

That's exactly what I was going to say when I saw the title. lol

[Hurricaneman]

Psychics are just as likely to get it right as any of us

[BayouVenteux]

They are saying it will be mild for South Louisiana. I feel soooo releived

I hear you! I recall that last year, several well-meaning folks who dare to venture into the arena of geographic landfall predictions -- basing their forecasts on some fairly decent research of influencing meteorological factors -- predicted a quiet year for Louisiana as well.

As Chuck Berry once sang: "C'est la vie" said the old folks - it goes to show you never can tell.