When The Winds Blow...

It must be hurricane season again. Officially the Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 to November 30 each year. Things don't start to heat up, literally, until late July.

Now it is early August, and Emily has formed east of the Windward Islands. Emily is the fifth named storm so far this year, and potentially the first to strengthen to hurricane and threaten the US mainland. Don was a weak storm that might have helped reduce the drought in Texas, but fizzled.

Tropical depressions, low pressure systems with little organization, are given numbers. Once the storm develops a core and minimum sustained winds, it becomes a tropical storm and is given a name which it keeps until it's done. Storm names follow the English alphabet from A to Z, with Greek letters beyond that if needed.

Interested parties can follow the US hurricane season at National Hurricane Center. There is a wide range of information about hurricanes, awareness, and storm preparation. Check it out, and check it regularly.