2008 Hurricane Season Predicted To Be Very Active

Colorado State University hurricane experts William Gray and Philip Klotzbach predict a Very Active 2008 Hurricane Season with 15 Named Storms, 8 Hurricanes and 4 Major Hurricanes.

Gray and Klotzbach also predict:

-- A 69 percent probability of at least one major hurricane striking the U.S. coastline, with the average for the last century being 52 percent.

-- A 45 percent probability for the U.S. east coast, including the Florida peninsula. The last century's average was 31 percent.

-- A 44 percent probability for the U.S. Gulf Coast, from Florida's panhandle to Brownsville, Texas. The last century's average was 30 percent.

-- An above average major hurricane landfall risk in the Caribbean.

They also said current Atlantic basin conditions appear "quite favorable" for an active hurricane season, with surface temperature patterns being similar to those typically observed before very active seasons.

Here is a video link to the weather channel interview with Dr. Philip Klotzbach.

Warning Signs of An Approaching Tornado

With all the Severe Weather that is taking place right now in the Mid-West I thought I would share a brief video from the weather.com site on how to read the warning signs that a tornado might be approaching.

Click on either of the links above to view the video.

Woman Dies From Mad Cow Disease Variant In United States

A young 22 year old woman that was lying unconscious in Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center, located in Portsmouth, Virginia has passed away from what may have been a rare degenerative brain disorder that has been linked to eating beef from cattle infected with mad cow disease.

The young woman passed away at about 5:30 PM on Wednesday.

The state health department said earlier this week that it was investigating the case, looking to see if the woman had any of a range of neurological disorders.

One possibility is a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, known as vCJD, a rare degenerative brain disorder that has been linked to consumption of contaminated beef. The disease is not spread through casual contact from person to person.

There are also other forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, known as CJD, that are unrelated to beef consumption. State officials are looking into those as well.

Though it is unknown at this time the exact cause, the disease has been known to come from tainted medical equipment and certain medical procedures as well. Doctors are suspecting that she contracted the disease shortly after having gastric-bypass surgery since the womans health began to deteriorate just after she had the surgery.

There is no treatment or cure for the disease.

Source of the story from The Virginian-Pilot.

Another Report of Measles Exposure Reported On East Coast

A second report of possible measles exposure has been reported in Long Island, N.Y. this week as well.

Apparently a measles-infected baby was taken to a mall located in Westbury, located in Nassau, County.

The health department warned shoppers who were at Cedarhurst's Verizon Wireless store, Washington Mutual bank branch and Aries Nail Salon between 1 and 7 p.m. on Thursday at The Source mall's Maternity Works, Gymboree, Children's Place and Old Navy between 5 p.m. and midnight. Anyone who visited the mall's bathrooms during those hours should also be tested and receive the vaccine.

Any high-risk Suffolk residents who think they came in contact with the boy should call 631-853-3055. Vaccines will be provided at the Department of Health Services, 225 Rabro Dr. East in Hauppauge, but appointments are required in advance.

Abu Ubaida al-Masri, Al Qaeda Terrorist Confirmed Dead

Abu Ubaida al-Masri, not his real name has been confirmed dead.

It is being reported that al-Masri has died of natural causes stemming from complications possibly due to hepatitis while in Pakistan. Other reports that he was killed in January by a CIA-led predator strike are being shied away from. Either way, he is dead, and good riddance.

Though not at the top of Al-Qaeda, he was part of the inner core and was the alleged mastermind behind the July 7th 2005 bombings in London as well as the failed plot to bring down 10 planes laden with liquid explosives that was to be carried on by terrorists.

The plot was foiled by British Intelligence and led to the arrest of 24 suspected terrorists.

For further on this Please the FOX News Story and LA Times story.