- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free.
Hurricane season begins on June 1, but that isn't stopping the tropical Atlantic from heating up in May. A broad surface of low pressure in the Atlantic west of Florida is being given a 50 percent chance of forming into a depression or tropical storm by the National Hurricane Center.
While that is early, obviously, it's not uncommon. There have been 15 seasons in which named storms have formed prior to June 1, including the last four seasons. This, unfortunately, would seem to be the norm at least over the past five years.
Fortunately, it is unlikely the storm would make landfall in the United States, though it could bring some rainy and windy conditions to the Bahamas and Bermuda as it meanders off the East Coast before heading out to sea.
Before you freak out, early-season storms like this one are not predictors of things to come. We remain in a period of elevated storm activity, a cycle that runs between 20 and 40 years. We are roughly 30 years into that cycle. That is more likely the reason we could be headed for an active hurricane season, not this disturbance.
Still, it's a good reminder that hurricane season is just a couple weeks away and it's never too early to be prepared. In this case, you probably don't need to stock up on masks, hand sanitizer and toilet paper, but, you know, it couldn't hurt.
Keep the Houston Press Free... Since we started the Houston Press, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Houston, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Houston with no paywalls.