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Tropical Weather » 2008 Hurricane Season
2008 Hurricane Season Highlights
The 2008 Hurricane Season officially kicked off on June 1st. Southeast Texas had a very close call just last year when rapidly strengthening
Hurricane Humberto made a September landfall just to the east of High Island.
We will not soon forget our area's massive evacuation just three seasons ago prior to the September landfall of
Hurricane Rita just to our east along the Texas-Louisiana border. Before Rita, the Houston/Galveston area has
been very lucky over the past two decades or so as far as landfalling hurricanes go -
Hurricane Jerry made landfall in October 1989 near Jamaica Beach (Galveston Island) and the area's last major
hurricane, Alicia, made landfall back in August 1983 on the
west end of Galveston Island. This season will mark the 25th anniversary of Alicia, the area's last major hurricane.
The Houston/Galveston National Weather Service Office held its annual
Hurricane Workshop on Saturday, June 7th, from
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. This year's theme was "Ready or Not."
As always, admission was free and open to the public.
Dates and times for additional area hurricane meetings can be found here.
During the workshop, Bill Read, the new Director of the
National Hurricane Center, gave an update on recent improvements in hurricane forecasting and what the 2008 Hurricane
Season has in store for Texas. Also, local Emergency Management experts were on hand to explain the latest plans for hurricane preparedness
along the upper Texas coast.
The popular kids area once again featured interactive learning activities. Kids were able to learn about tropical cyclones and how to prepare
for an approaching hurricane through a fun, educational experience that teaches them to respect, but not fear, these strong storms.
There were a number of vendors on hand displaying items related to hurricane preparedness. Many items were also given away
on a first-come, first-served basis, such as hurricane tracking charts, tip sheets, a comprehensive booklet on hurricanes from the National
Weather Service, as well as other vendor-provided items.
The 2008 Hurricane Workshop was once again sponsored by CenterPoint Energy (for the fourth year in a row), the City of Houston and
the National Weather Service. Harris County Office of Emergency Management, Interfaith Ministries, and the Weather Museum were also active
participants in making this a successful educational event.
There was an opportunity for the general public to view NOAA's P-3 Hurricane Hunter Aircraft on Tuesday, April 15th, 2008.
More details can be found here.
We thank all who attended the meeting this year, and we look forward to seeing you again next year at 2009 Hurricane Workshop!
Have a safe hurricane season.
Here are some internet links to help you out this hurricane season. Take a look and take to heart...this could be our year!
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