Hurricane Laura Upgraded to Likely Intensify

This morning Tropical Storm Laura was upgraded to Hurricane Laura with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (121 Km/h). The storm is currently located 550 miles southeast of Galveston, TX and is tracking at 14 – 16mph in a North Northwest direction. 6 days ago we were tracking three potential storms and now Hurricane Laura is the dangerous one.Concerns now are that the storm will rapidly intensify and can become a Category 3 storm by...

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National Hurricane Center Tracking 3 Potential Hurricanes

UPDATED August 19 10:37 A.M.: Two potential storms are being tracked in the 5 Day Outlook from the National Hurricane Center, Miami, Florida as of August 18th. Now a third area of disturbance is following them! Estimates for the number of storms we will see in 2020 have ranged as high as 25. Given the National Hurricane Center is tracking 3 potential storms we could well see more than that, which would mean we would start over on storm names...

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Saffir-Simpson Scale

What Do Those Dots and Colors Mean? When you see a forecast map with blue triangles and various colored circles, you have to wonder what each one is. Here is the image from the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) showing what each means. NOAA through its project Ocean Explorer provides us much of the information we have about our oceans and provides massive amounts of educational materials for students of all ages. The...

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Hurricane Irma turns into Category 5

Hurricane Irma has now turned into a Category 5 Hurricane, making it extremely dangerous. Its’ winds are up to 175 miles an hour, with no sign of slowing down. Irma began its formation in the Cape Verde Islands and has tracked its way through the Atlantic to get to where it is now. The hurricane is currently tracked to hit the Antigua, British and Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, as they frantically prepare for this hit. Puerto Rico has been...

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Hurricane Harvey: What You Need to Know NOW

You’ve heard by now that Tropical Depression/Tropical Storm/Hurricane Harvey is set to make landfall in Houston this Friday. A Tropical Storm watch was issued this afternoon, as well as a storm surge warning by the NHC (the first it’s ever issued). Governor Abbott declared a state of disaster for Harris County and 29 others near Houston and along the Texas coast. Though we don’t yet know what sort of storm exactly Harvey will be, a few...

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Amanda: A Strong Start to a Supposedly Weak 2014

hurricane sandy satellite view- costliest hurricanes in atlantic

Though the 2014 Hurricane Season is expected to be weak, Hurricane Amanda started it off tempestuously, breaking the record for the earliest category 4 hurricane in the Pacific Ocean. Previously, that honor had gone to Hurricane Adolph which reached a peak intensity of 145 mph on May 29, 2001. Amanda weakened to a still-powerful Category 4 at 135 mph hurricane on Monday morning and fell to a Category 2 at 105 mph by late afternoon....

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