# 5667
Most years, July isn’t a big month for Hurricanes in the Atlantic and Caribbean, although in 2005 we saw 3 storms (Cindy, Dennis, Emily) develop in the first half of that month.
Normally, things don’t start to get active until mid-August.
But this year, the forecast once again is for a very busy season, and so it isn’t too early to be paying attention.
Thus far in 2001 we’ve seen one moderate tropical Storm (Arlene) which impacted the Mexican coast last week, reportedly killing at least 2 people.
According to The National Hurricane Center in Miami, all is quiet right now in the Atlantic tropical basin.
Below you’ll see the the areas that historically have spawned tropical systems in July.
Unlike later in the year, when we watch for long-track storms to form in the Cape Verde basin, cyclone genesis is more apt to occur in the warmer, shallower waters closer to the United States.
Over the next several months we are likely to see dozens of areas of suspicion develop in the Atlantic and Caribbean. Many will likely fizzle . . . but long range forecasts are calling for as many as 18 of these to become named storms, and 6 to 10 to be hurricanes.
How many of those will make landfall is unknown.
Last year (see NOAA 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook) NOAA called for an above average tropical season, and that is exactly what we had, although the coastline of the United States was largely spared.
Other years, we aren’t so lucky.
It just takes one major storm to ruin your entire day.
The 1992 hurricane season was particularly quiet, with only 7 storms forming and just two impacting the United States. But one of them was Andrew - the CAT 5 monster that ripped across south Florida.
Which means that if you live anywhere within reach of one of these storms (and that can be hundreds of miles inland), you need to be reviewing your hurricane plans now.
May was National Hurricane Preparedness week, and during that month this blog devoted considerable time to the subject. A few of my blogs on the subject included:
National Hurricane Preparedness Week 2011
Hurricane Preparedness Week: Inland Flooding
Along with some general preparedness blogs:
Some essential hurricane resources to get you started include:
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/index.shtm
http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/hurricanes.html
You may also wish to revisit my blog entitled Hurricane Resources On The Net for links to storm resources online.
