Last season there were so many hurricanes and so much widespread damage that it seemed like we moved our boat every couple of weeks, boarded and unboarded our homes, to stay abreast of whatever storm was possibly headed our way.  This constant movement and anxiety about what the storms may produce kept us on needles and pins.  We lay up in Miami when on our boat, but own property in Apalachicola, FL as well.  Decisions needed to be made based on the best guestimates of the meteorologists.  Time was of the essence.  Planning was essential.  Needlesstosay, we kept busy.  According to most forecasters this season should prove no less eventful.

From the web site http://hurricane.accuweather.com I found the list of names for this seasons hurricanes and they are as follows;

For the Atlantic-

Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Helene, Issac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie, and William.

For the Eastern Pacific-

Aletta, Bud, Carlotta, Daniel, Ernilla, Fabio, Gilmar, Hector, Ileana, John, Kristy, Lane, Miriam, Norman, Olivia, Paul, Rosa, Sergio, Tara, Vincente, Willa, Xavier, Yolanda, and Zeke.

I was unable to get any exact predictions as far as number of possible named storms for either region at this time.  However, I thought I might show you the anatomy of a storm in hopes that we all understand how devastating and dangerous these storms can be.  Most of the Atlantic storms form off the coast of Africa.  However, this past season threw us for a loop when storms formed and struck from within the lower Caribbean and with highly unpredictable paths. 

Outflow-

The outflow is the high level clouds that move clockwise, out and away from the storm.  Typically, these are at, or above, 35,000 feet.  It is this air that spreads out and away from the storm that is essential and necessary to its development.

Feeder Bands-

These are the squall bands or showers associated with the storm.  Traits of the feeder bands would be strong, gusty winds and heavy rainfall.  They are fed by the warm waters of the ocean.  As the storm strengthens they get more and more pronounced.

Eyewall-

This is the band of heavy winds, rain, and clouds directly outside of the eye.  At the eyewall there is rapid and furious movement of air being sucked up and toward the center into the cloud.

Eye-

The eye shrinks and grows with the changes in the violent winds associated with the eyewall.  As the rising air converges with the eye itself the air dries out and becomes calm or light.  Low pressure acts like a plunger by pulling the water up into the cloud.

The storm surge is dependant on the winds as the storm makes landfall.  The strongest surge comes ashore to the right of the eyewall while left of the eyewall you may notice a lower then normal water level.  It is this higher water that allows the storm to strike further inland causing massive property damage and possible loss of life.

According to https://hurricane.accuweather.com meteorologists use a combination of sources to try to predict where and how strong these hurricanes will be or become.  They use an infared enhanced system that tracks Cuba and the Caribbean, the East Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico, the Hurricane Atlantic, Central America, Mexico, and the North Atlantic.  This shows the clouds as clear/low or high/cold and measures their temperature.

Visible satellite imagery is also used.  In this area they track; Cuba and the Caribbean, the Central Atlantic, the East Coast, Gulf-wide, Gulf-wide II, Islands close-up, Globe East, and Globe whole.

Visible infared satellites can be tapped into along Hurricane Alley, the Eastern US, and the Gulf of Mexico.  These watch the clear/night clouds, clear/day clouds, and the cold/warm clouds at night.

Color water vapor satellites track the Atlantic, West Atlantic, and South-East US looking for dry to moist air/water.    

The National Hurricane Center offers products such as storm up-dates, satellite discussions, and outlooks.  You can download or print a wide array of tracking maps in both, GIF and PDF.

Sources;

http://hurricane.accuweather.com

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About the author: Michelle Malsbury was born and raised in Champaign, Illinois. She holds a BA in Business Management. Currently she is seven weeks away from earning her master's degree in Organizational Management while concurrently pursuing her lofty writing ambitions. Her plans also involve obtaining her PhD in 2006/07.

Michelle moved to south Florida in 1982 and resides between the Keys, Miami, and Apalachicola, allowing her to experience the seasonal fluctuations between the southernmost and nearly northernmost beauty in the state of Florida. Travels have taken her from Europe through the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and across much of the United States.

She enjoys outdoor activities like sailing, waterskiing, hiking, bike riding, working out, and fishing as well as reading, music, theatre, playing with her two amusing pets (Abu Chez, her 6 year old Australian Blue Heeler and Zack, her two year old yellow tabby cat) and writing.

Michelle is a regular featured author on the web site www.useless-knowledge.com and member of their 100 + articles published club. Here she enjoys exchanging points of view with her comrades on an array of topics.

"Three Years With Adonis" is the first to be published of several books that she has written and is now available in all the better bookstores, but can also be found and ordered at Amazon.com, Booksamillion.com, Barnesandnoble.com, or ordered directly from her web sites, www.3yearswithadonis.com, www.threeyearswithadonis.com, or www.MichelleMalsbury.com. In addition to "Three Years With Adonis", she has authored four other books and three screenplays while continuing to explore all that life hands her.



Email Michelle Malsbury: zackywacks@aol.com

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