Hurricane Season 2013

Here we are, another year... another hurricane season.

For those of you who've been through this before, you know the drill.  Prepare as if we will get a direct hit and then wait for Mother Nature to do her thing.  Hopefully she will be kind to us this year.

For those of you who may be new to the area, welcome.

Hurricane season is Earth's way of maintaining a somewhat average temperature. Hurricanes act like a huge vacuum cleaner, inhaling all the hot air at the surface and shooting it up towards the pole where it cools down and comes back to the tropics at a cooler temperature.  Its just too bad that it accomplishes this through a violent medium.

A hurricane is the world's largest storm, but unlike an earthquake where you get no warning, or a tornado where you may only get a few minutes notice, with a hurricane you will see me on TV sometimes up to a week out warning you its coming. It will never take you by surprise. Having said that, you need to do a few things. Make sure your property is storm ready, make sure you can be self sufficient for a least 3 days, and if you are asked to evacuate... please do so.

Here is a great link from NHC, to help you get prepared.

Hurricane Preparedness

The experts say we can expect:

• A 70 percent likelihood of 13 to 20 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher)
• 7 to 11 of those could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher)
• 3 to 6 may turn into major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher).

These ranges are well above the seasonal average of 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. The bottom line is no one, no model, or forecaster can tell how many will make landfall.


Already as if to say, "Here I am!" NHC is looking at a disturbance near the Yucatan and Cuba.

AN AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER IS LOCATED OVER THE NORTHWESTERN
CARIBBEAN SEA.  DEVELOPMENT...IF ANY...OF THIS SYSTEM IS LIKELY TO
BE SLOW TO OCCUR AS IT DRIFTS NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD.  THIS SYSTEM HAS
A LOW CHANCE...10 PERCENT...OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING
THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

Most models agree if anything were to develop, it would move into the Central Gulf. I hope nothing comes of it.

The bottom line:

• Prepare now to avoid the long lines at grocery stores and home improvement centers
• I'll keep you posted on ANYTHING that hiccups in the Atlantic Basin, here on my blog or on WSVN.com, WSVN Facebook and twitter feeds, and of course every day on 7NEWS.