The blinding thunderstorm outside as well as the non-stop blather on local and national TV serves as a reminder to me that hurricane season is here. Start boarding up the windows and everyone move to Wisconsin until at least November!
No, folks here on the Upper Texas Coast aren’t quite that paranoid yet. Although if we have another hurricane or two this season — after two major ones and a cat 1 in the past four years — then perhaps some of those who were wondering about sticking around this area may be thinking of elsewhere to live.
The problem is we went forever without hurricanes here, or at least a long time. I’ve spent a good majority of my life in this area and only remember being on the fringes of storms over the past 40 or so years. That was, of course, until Rita came along in 2005 and Ike pounded us last year.
As far as I am concerned there is no reason to get paranoid, but unlike many years past, I have started collecting things I might could use if a ‘cane slams us again and leaves us without — just without — for awhile. In the meantime, here are this year’s Atlantic/Gulf storm names:
Ana
Bill
Claudette
Danny
Erika
Fred
Grace
Henri
Ida
Joaquin
Kate
Larry
Mindy
Nicholas
Odette
Peter
Rose
Sam
Teresa
Victor
Wanda