Ready or not, the Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1^st, and already has two named storms to date. Tropical storm Alberto formed on June 10^th, and made landfall across the Florida Panhandle near Adams Beach on June 13^th.  Tropical storm Beryl formed on July 18^th, and moved across Nantucket Island, MA on July 21^st. 

What can we expect for the remainder of the season? NOAA’s outlook calls for an active 2006 season, with 13-16 named storms, 8-10 hurricanes, and 4-6 major hurricanes.  Dr. Bill Gray’s (Colorado State University) forecast is similar, with 17 named storms, 9 hurricanes, and 5 major hurricanes. 

Whatever the number of storms forecasted, the key is advanced preparation. One way the Lake Charles National Weather Service can help you prepare this year is by providing a Gulf of Mexico Hurricane Tracking chart, available online at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lch/tropical/tracking_chart.pdf.

The National Weather Service’s Official Hurricane Brochure contains general information about hurricane preparation, and can be found at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/hurr.pdf. 

As part of the traffic lessons learned in 2005, the Louisiana Department of Transportation has placed evacuation maps for Southwest Louisiana with the Contraflow highway plan highlighted at:  http://www.dotd.state.la.us/maps/ContraFlow_SWLA_map.pdf. 

The Texas Department of Transportation has made a similar map at:
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/Hurricanemaps/.
 

2006 Atlantic Hurricane Names

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

Category
1
2
3
4
5
 

Wind (mph)
74-95
96-110
111-130
131-155
>155
 

Storm Surge (ft)
3-5
6-8
9-12
13-18
>18