Today: Official beginning of 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season!

June 1 marks the official start to the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which runs through Nov. 30. As proven by Alberto and Beryl, tropical storms and hurricanes can occur outside of these dates. But more than 97 percent of tropical activity is confined to the months from June through November with activity, on average, peaking on Sept. 10.

Why an Automatic Home Standby Generator Makes Sense

They start automatically within moments of a power outage, and eliminate the need to haul a portable generator outside, using extension cords or connecting to a manual transfer switch to restore power. And unlike a portable models, home generators can be operated in direct weather. Rain, snow or wind won’t affect an automatic home standby generator since they have outdoor rated weather enclosures. Read More>

Names for Atlantic Basin Tropical Cyclones

When the the winds from these storms reach 39 mph (34 kts), the cyclones are given names. Years ago, an international committee developed names for Atlantic cyclones. In 1979 a six year rotating list of Atlantic storm names was adopted — alternating between male and female hurricane names. Storm names are used to facilitate geographic referencing, for warning services, for legal issues, and to reduce confusion when two or more tropical cyclones occur at the same time. Through a vote of the World Meteorological Organization Region IV Subcommittee, Atlantic cyclone names are retired usually when hurricanes result in substantial damage or death or for other special circumstances. The names assigned for the period between 2012 and 2017 are shown below.