Good afternoon everyone. As we approach the statistical peak of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season, it is very important that all residents along the United States coastline from Maine to Texas not to let their guard down. So far this season has not been spectacular in terms of tropical development, but we must remember that all it takes is one storm. Hurricane Andrew proved that to South Florida in what was a below average hurricane season in 1992.

Residents along the Mid-Atlantic should take note that both Hurricane Bill and Tropical Storm Danny took paths parallel to the East Coast of the United States, and generated large swells and dangerous rip currents. Thank goodness, a trough was in place over the Eastern United States on both occasions, and spared the region any landfall. However, a deviation in the weather patterns could change that.

Last season, Tropical Storm Hanna came up the coast and brought gusty winds and heavy rains to portions of the Mid-Atlantic including the Garden State. However, other than that, it has been quite a while since a significant storm such as a Category Two Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale has directly impacted the region. Hurricane Gloria and Hurricane Bob both pretty much spared the Mid-Atlantic while crossing over Long Island, and moving into New England. Other systems such as Fran, Floyd, and Jeanne came through as rainmaking tropical storms.

Early last month, Rick Schwartz of MidAtlanticHurricanes.com issued a press release that stated the risk of a major hurricane for the region was high for this year. To refresh everyone’s memory, a major hurricane is a tropical cyclone with winds of at least 115 miles per hour. The last time a Category Two Hurricane struck the United States East Coast north of Florida was Hurricane Isabel (Virginia) back in 2003. The last Category Three system was Fran (North Carolina) in 1996 while the last Category Four storm was Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

Florida and the Gulf Coast of the United States has seen many of the recent impacts. For example, over the five year period between and including 2004 and 2008, there were a total of ten Category Two or stronger storms came ashore in that region. Included in this list were hurricanes Charley, Dennis, Frances, Gustav, Ike, Ivan, Jeanne, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.

Residents from New Jersey to Virginia should be reminded that tropical storms and hurricanes can happen here, and should be prepared for any such storm if and when it approaches the region. Today, the Mid-Atlantic has a much larger population than it did in the last big hurricane cycle back in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. A Category Two or stronger system making landfall in the Mid-Atlantic, or New England could be a disaster that would dwarf that from Hurricane Katrina.