Tuesday, September 2, 2008

At the Peak of the Hurricane Season

Those who live in the Caribbean tend to get a bit nervous this time of the year, because September is the peak of the hurricane season. For the North Atlantic, which pertains to Puerto Rico, the hurricane season officially begins in June and ends in November. Historically speaking, the months of August and September have been the most active. Here's a list of some of the major hurricanes and storms which have hit the Island of Enchantment:

1) Hugo, September 17th &18th, 1989, Category 4
2) Marilyn, September 15th & 16th, 1995, Category 3
3) Hortense, September 9th & 10th, 1996 , Category 1
4) Georges, September 21st & 22nd, 1998, Category 3
5) Jeanne, September 15th, 2004, Tropical Storm

Just like millions of others, I was nervous about Hurricane Gustav. After all, the scars and bad memories left over from Katrina are still deeply etched in the minds of so many. Thankfully, Gustav did not wreak as much havoc in New Orleans. However, we are just now entering the month of September and it looks like quite an active hurricane season. The National Hurricane Center and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have a lot of up-to-date information, as well as tips and advice on how to deal with a tropical storm or hurricane. For the moment, I have my fingers crossed hoping nothing comes directly our way.

(Images obtained from the National Hurricane Center, http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml)

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