
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 26, 1990                   TAG: 9006260288
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

OFFICIAL POOH-POOHS HURRICANE PREDICTION

Virginia's climatologist is skeptical of warnings from other weather researchers who say an apparent break in the 30-year drought in western African will lead to violent hurricanes on the East Coast in coming years. . . .

"It's not time to sell the beach house because the African drought is breaking," Pat Michaels said.

The question, however, on the minds of most East Coast residents is whether this hurricane season, which started June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, will bring another Hurricane Hugo.

Hugo ripped ashore last summer in South Carolina killing 29 people after killing 28 as it tore through the Caribbean. Damage was estimated at $10 billion. It was the worst hurricane to hit the southeastern U.S. coast since hurricane Betsy struck the Florida Keys in 1965 on its way through to Mississippi and Louisiana killing 74 people.

"If you're asking will there be another Hugo this year, the answer is we don't have enough information or knowledge to be able to say," Michaels said.

While weather in Africa directly affects the weather in the Caribbean and Atlantic basins, how much of an effect is a still a matter of conjecture, some researchers said.

by CNB