Warmer month brings higher risk of hurricanes for the East and Gulf coasts

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 9/10/2010 6:43:25 AM

September 2010 will trend as the warmest in three years for much of the nation.
      Retailers in the Northeast will have an extended opportunity for clearance of outdoor living categories as the first real shot of fall weather will not arrive until the end of the month. While the South Central and Eastern part of the country will trend warmer than normal, the Western region will trend cooler and wetter.
The first week of the month was the coldest in 15 years with several hundred record low temperatures.
     The hurricane season will be much more active this month, with the potential for four or five named storms, which translates to a greater risk of disruption for retailers along the Eastern and Gulf coasts.
     During last September, 24% of the nation trended colder than the prior year, while 17% trended warmer. The first week of the month was the coldest in 15 years with several hundred record low temperatures.
The Eastern region trended colder in September 2009, thus creating less favorable conditions for sales of outdoor living categories. Meanwhile, the West experienced warmer temperatures with the Southwest trending the warmest in more than 17 years, a positive for outdoor categories. The United States as a whole trended slightly drier in September 2009, due in part to a lack of tropical activity.