# 5590
Today, June 1st, marks the start of this year’s Atlantic Hurricane season, although hurricanes in June are a fairly rare event. Over the past 50 years 9 Hurricanes have formed during the first month of Hurricane season.
As you can see by the NOAA chart below, early season tropical storms are a bit more common, but the season doesn’t usually pick up steam until August.
Mariner’s Poem On Hurricanes
June too soon.
July stand by.
August look out you must.
September remember.
October all over.- Published in “Weather Lore” by R. Inwards in 1898
Of course, some years are exceptions.
In 2010 Hurricane Alex – a strong CAT 2 hurricane – slammed into Mexican state of Tamaulipas after intensifying to hurricane strength on June 29th.
Hurricane Audrey in 1957 was the only June storm in modern history known to reach CAT 4 strength, and it claimed 550 lives after it made landfall in eastern Texas and western Louisiana.
Below are a few notable June Hurricane tracks, including 1957’s notorious Audrey.
When hurricanes and tropical storms do form in June, they tend to form in the warmer, comparatively shallower waters of the the Gulf of Mexico.
June Climatology
All of which means that while it is very early in the Hurricane season, it isn’t too early to be prepared.
Last March NOAA, FEMA, and the American Red Cross released an updated preparedness guide for the 2011 tropical season.
To become better prepared as an individual, family, business owner, or community to deal with hurricanes, or any other type of disaster: visit the following preparedness sites.
FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm
READY.GOV http://www.ready.gov/
AMERICAN RED CROSS http://www.redcross.org/
And lastly, you may wish to revisit some of my preparedness essays, including:
