Hurricane Season Starts

Hurricane season begins today and ends November 30. Below is list of names for this year. Click here to learn more about the names.

Andrea
Barry
Chantal
Dean
Erin
Felix
Gabrielle
Humberto
Ingrid
Jerry
Karen
Lorenzo
Melissa
Noel
Olga
Pablo
Rebekah
Sebastien
Tanya
Van
Wendy

Above Normal 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season

Experts at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center are projecting a 75 percent chance that the Atlantic Hurricane Season will be above normal this year—showing the ongoing active hurricane era remains strong. For more click here.

Hurricane Preparedness Week

Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 20-26, 2007. The goal of this Hurricane Preparedness Web site is to inform the public about the hurricane hazards and provide knowledge which can be used to take ACTION.

Subtropical Storm Andrea

Subtropical Storm Andrea is a bit early. Hurricane season doesn't officially begin until June 1st. The map to the left is the three day forecast path Andrea. Andrea is the first named Atlantic basin storm in May since 1981 and the third-earliest named storm since 1950.

Other early-season storms of note:
Tropical Storm Ana -- April 21-24, 2003
Tropical Storm Arlene -- May 6-9, 1981
Subtropical Storm 1 -- May 21-25, 1976
Subtropical Storm Alpha -- May 23-29, 1972
Hurricane Alma -- May 17-27, 1970 (Category 1 south of the Cayman Islands)
Hurricane Able -- May 15-24, 1951(Category 3 as it was off the Outer Banks of North Carolina)

Click here for the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Did Dust Bust the 2006 Hurricane Season Forecasts?

In June and July 2006, there were several significant dust storms over the Sahara Desert in Africa. As this dust traveled westward into the Atlantic, satellite data show that the particles blocked sunlight from reaching the ocean surface, causing ocean waters to cool. These cooler waters may have impeded some storminess since hurricanes rely on warm waters to form. Click here for more.