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in 2004-05, compared to the normal 66%. Overall, the number of boxes of Florida citrus was down 42% from the 2003-04 season, bringing a 17% drop in value for the same period (USDA, 2005). After the 2004 hurricane season, the rate of tree removal and burning efforts were intensified in an effort to eradicate canker from commercial groves before the onset of the 2005 hurricane season. Before the plan could be completed, hurricane Wilma contributed to the spread of canker from south Florida up through central Florida, far beyond the ability to control it with the existing eradication plan. Estimates placed the spread of the disease at 183,000 acres. The existing eradication plan would have required the destruction of one-fourth of the commercial acreage in Florida, an amount that would have devastated the citrus industry (Conner, 2006). Historic Events. From 1930 through 1959, a total of 58 hurricanes struck the U.S. mainland; 25 of which were Category 3 or higher(major storms). Between 1960 and 1989, 43 hurricanes struck the U.S.; 16 of which were Category 3 or stronger. Most hurricane experts feel we are entering a period of increased hurricane formation similar to the levels seen in the 1930's and 1940's. Current hurricane risk calculations are complicated by climatic factors suggesting the potential for even greater hurricane frequency and severity in all of the world's hurricane spawning grounds. Since 1995, there have been 33 Atlantic hurricanes, and there were 10 in 1998 alone. Global warming may cause changes in storm frequency and the precipitation rates associated with storms. A modest 0.9°F (0.5°C) increase in the mean global temperature will add 20 days to the annual hurricane season and increase the chances of a storm making landfall on the U.S. mainland by 33%. The warmer ocean surface also will allow storms to increase in intensity, survive in higher latitudes, and develop storm tracts that could shift farther north, producing more U.S. landfalls. Currently an average of 1.6 hurricanes strike the U.S. every year. Severe (Category 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale) hurricanes strike the U.S. on the average of one every 5.75 years. Annually, hurricanes are estimated to cause approximately$1.2 billion in damages. The proximity of dense population to the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the generally low coastal elevations, significantly increases the County's vulnerability. The potential for property damage and human Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 17