June 2, 2009 Hurricane Storm Season Begins

The Name of the Next Hurricane will be Ana

Hurricane season begins this week and will run from June 1^st to November 30^th with the peak of the hurricane season during the August to October time frame. Still, Mother Nature does not watch the calendar: the first tropical depression had already formed in the Atlantic Ocean last week and, luckily, was deemed no threat to land.

What Causes a Hurricane?

Since most hurricanes are born of tropical storms, one might think that a pre-season storm is an indicator of a rough season, but Tropical Depression One was created at a much higher latitude than many of the truly destructive hurricanes of lore.

The hurricanes that threaten the US coastlines often begin near the African coast. Belts of low air pressure called “easterly waves” occur in the oceanic trade winds. Sometimes, these easterly waves form tropical depressions. The hurricanes are fueled by the heat generated from the condensing water vapors, so when a tropical depression is coupled with sever thunderstorms the meteorologists get nervous!  Vigorous thunderstorm activity in that region early in the season would be one predictor of a rough hurricane season. As the winds increase, the depression can become a tropical storm until the winds speed is over 73 MPH. Then, the hurricane has been formed,  it officially gets a name, drifts west  from its African birthplace on the Trade Winds, and veers north as it meets the prevailing winds coming eastward across North America. 

2009 Hurricane Names according to the National Hurricane Center:

Ana
Bill
Claudette
Danny
Erika
Fred
Grace
Henri
Ida
Joaquin
Kate
Larry
Mindy
Nicholas
Odette
Peter
Rose
Sam
Teresa
Victor
Wanda

New Hurricane Formations?

The first tropical depression of this year, however, formed in a newer atypical hurricane formation pattern. The new pattern defies the one common to most tropical systems. Instead of starting off Africa’s coast; it starts off the U.S. coast in either the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico.  Another thing to blame on overall global warming, as the warm water temperatures could be a key reason why these pop-up storms are occurring and some hurricane forecasters really fear this new hurricane producing pattern may be a  bad sign of things to come.

When a storm comes all the way from Africa, there is time to track and predict the Hurricane’s path.  This also allows people in its path to prepare and evacuate. Storms forming so close to the coastline mean that people might not have that time.

“The caveat is in the Gulf of Mexico in August and October you can have very strong storms form and become severe simply because warm water is there,” said University of Miami Rosensteil School Of Marine and Atmospheric Science professor Nick Shay. “The atmosphere is favorable, and these storms can spin up to category 4 or 5 status.”

Hurricane Humberto in 2007 is a classic example of this sudden storm. It formed and intensified off Texas faster than any tropical storm on record. In just one day it grew from a disturbance to a full blown category one hurricane. It ended up causing $50 million in damage.

Bottom Line of Hurricane Safety: Prepare!

No matter what causes a hurricane, they are extremely destructive forces of nature.  And now is their season. Right now it is just a benign list of names and there is no sign of who will be this year’s Katrina or Ike or Andrew.

It could be Ana or Ida or perhaps it’s Rose who we will have to watch out for. Only Mother Nature knows.