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August Tropical Climatology

 

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

# 6491

 

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With National Preparedness Month just a couple of weeks away, a quick look today at the tropical storm and hurricane threat as the Atlantic tropical season progresses.

 


While the tropics are in a bit of lull right now, last week we saw that NOAA Raised their Hurricane Prediction For Remainder of 2012 Season. Traditionally August is when the Atlantic hurricane season really begins to pick up steam, and that trend usually peaks in mid-September. 

 

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Compare the areas of origin and typical hurricane tracks in these two maps (below) showing July and August, and you will see a considerable amount of difference.

 

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As the summer progresses the spawning grounds for Hurricanes moves further east into the warming Atlantic ocean. It isn’t until August and September that the Cape Verde basin begins to produce what often turn into very large and persistent hurricanes.

 

You can find much more on Hurricane Climatology at NOAA’s  Tropical Cyclone Climatology page.

 

When it comes to getting the latest information on hurricanes, your first stop should always be the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. These are the real experts, and the only ones you should rely on to track and forecast the storm.

 

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  • Tropical storm watches will be issued when tropical storm conditions are possible along the coast within 48 hours.
  • Tropical storm warnings will be issued when those conditions are expected within 36 hours. Similar increases in lead-time will apply to hurricane watches and warnings.

 

The second official information source you should have bookmarked is your local Office of Emergency Management.  Here you’ll be able to access local warnings, flood maps and evacuation information.

To find it, you can Google or Yahoo search with your county/parish name and the words `Emergency Management’.   Below you’ll find a screenshot of the entry page to my county’s page.

 

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If you are on Twitter, you should also follow @FEMA, @CraigatFEMA, @NHC_Atlantic, @NHC_Pacific and @ReadydotGov.

 

NOAA’s NWS National Hurricane Center in Miami also has a Facebook page, where you can keep up with the latest tropical developments.

 

If you haven’t already downloaded the Tropical Cyclone Preparedness Guide, now would be an excellent time to do so. It is a short (12-page), easy to follow guide that will walk you through the basics of understanding (and surviving) hurricanes and tropical storms.

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As I mentioned above, September is National Preparedness Month, and all next month I’ll be running preparedness columns.  Some new, and some repeats.  But all of them designed to get people thinking about how they will deal with an emergency.

 

You can click on the PREPAREDNESS link in my sidebar to dozens of my essays on the subject, but a here are just a couple few to get you started.

 

In An Emergency, Who Has Your Back?

Inside My New Bug Out Bag

An Appropriate Level Of Preparedness

 

it needn’t take a hurricane or an earthquake to make you glad you prepared.  Emergencies can come in all sizes, and can happen any at time without warning.

 

To get started, visit Ready.gov and learn how to make a plan,  build a kit, and be informed.

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