"FORT COLLINS, Colorado, May 5, 2006 (ENS) - The start of the Atlantic hurricane season is less than a month away, and forecasters are predicting more devastating storms this year. Employing a statistical system based on past trends, hurricane forecasters at Colorado State University are predicting a "very active" season with landfall probabilities "well above their long-period averages."

Their updated forecast, released in late April, projects 17 named storms, of which nine will become hurricanes."