Timing, location and strength of Hurricane Alex portends busy season: AIR Worldwide

Hurricane Alex, the first hurricane in the 2010 season, is now a spent force, having done about $200-million worth of insured damage in Mexico, according to modeler AIR Worldwide.
The Category 2 hurricane has dissipated into a storm system that is expected to dump an extra two to four inches of rain on southern Texas, the National Hurricane Centre says.
AIR notes the timing and trajectory of Alex is reminiscent of an active hurricane season in 1995.
“The last hurricane to form in the Atlantic basin in the month of June was Hurricane Allison, 15 years ago, in 1995,” AIR notes. “That year saw 19 named storms, 11 hurricanes, and five major hurricanes — a season very similar to that predicted for 2010.
“Alex also has been the strongest hurricane to form in the Atlantic basin in June since 1966.”