NOAA is predicting a VERY busy season for the Atlantic Basin !
* 14 to 23 Named Storms (top winds of 39 mph or higher), including:
* 8 to 14 Hurricanes (top winds of 74 mph or higher), of which:
* 3 to 7 could be Major Hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of at least 111 mph)
That is a lot ! Much more then your average forecast !
The Pacific already had it's first named Storm of the season - Agatha , which claimed approx. 179 lives across Central America !
I thought i would post some pictures from Hurricane Ike that blew through SE Texas in 2008 ! It devastated parts of Galveston Island , High Island , Bolivar Peninsula .....
Here are some Before & After pictures from USGS : (pay special attention to compariosn number 5 )
http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/ike/photo-comparisons/galveston.html
Hurricane Ike was awful ! I don't think i have ever been so afraid in my life ! I was up all night , while the rest of my family slept through it , i still don't know how they did that ! The Sounds the Wind made are still branded in my memory ! I never knew this House could make such noises ! It was so loud ! The Winds howled for , what i thought must've been 5 , 6 hours , then we got a break for about an hour as they Eye of the Storm moved over us and then Round number 2 started ! This one was less scary because by that time it was already daylight and i could see what was going on outside !
To think that Ike was "Only" a category 2 (almost cat 3) storm and the damage it caused is unbelievable ! Ike had a Storm surge of a Category 5 storm !!!
I hope we won't have to deal with another "Ike" anytime soon !
Here are the "After" pictures from our place :
