FORECASTERS PREDICT STORMY FUTURE.

If the theory of professor of atmospheric sciences William Gray and his associates at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, is correct, the 14 Atlantic Basin storms that occurred in 1998 are just a harbinger of hurricane seasons to come over the next few decades. Gray believes certain climate phenomena indicate a return to conditions prevalent from the early 1930s to the late 1960s, when hurricane seasons had more intense or major storms along the U.S. East Coast. The 25 years between 1970 and 1994 were relatively quiet, records show, but the upsurge in numbers and intensity since 1994 is likely to continue.

The 1998 season was the most destructive on record in terms of loss of life and property damage in the Caribbean basin because of hurricanes Georges and Mitch. An unusual number of storms--three hurricanes and four tropical storms--made landfall along the U.S. coastline. Only 1916, with nine, and 1985, with eight, had more named storms impacting the U.S.

Despite greatly reduced hurricane activity in 1997 due to the strongest El Nino on record, the years 1995-98 have been the most active four-year...