Irma remains a significant Category 4 hurricane late this afternoon with sustained winds around 155 mph. The sheer size of Irma is quite menacing, and spatially the hurricane covers an area roughly the size of Texas. Given this, sustained tropical storm force winds (in excess of 39 mph) will encompass the majority of the Florida peninsula over the coming days. The sustained hurricane force winds (in excess of 74 mph) will extend outward as much as 80 miles from the center! Note that hurricane force gusts could occur at locations over 120 miles from the center.

Everyone has been paying attention to Hurricane Irma as she approaches Florida and the East Coast. However, western states are more worried about wildfires. The weather is currently as diverse as our United States, with extremes on either coast. 

On the heels of Hurricane Harvey, the US braces for impact from a second major hurricane in as many weeks. With Hurricane Irma likely to make an impact somewhere on the Floridian coast, evacuation orders are already being instated with the Florida Keys evacuating all non-residents today. In addition to residents and tourists, Florida is home to many major sports teams including 3 NFL teams, 2 MLB teams, and 7 NCAA football teams that play at the highest level, FBS. Many of these teams are rescheduling or canceling their games for this upcoming weekend.

It's never fun to be out on a boat when thunderstorms approach. What is dangerous on land can be much more dangerous when you are surrounded by water. This is why the National Weather Service issues Special Marine Warnings and also why we now display them on RadarScope.

If you're reading this article, chances are pretty good you've heard of Hurricane Irma. She reached Category 5 this morning, the strongest on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds of 185 mph and gusts over 200 mph. You may have also noticed a funnel or cone shape forecasting her path. This is called the Cone of Uncertainty. So, what does it mean?

September 1 marked the halfway point in the Atlantic hurricane season – at least according to the calendar. That means we still have three more months to go. Typically, activity is low in June and July and by the time August arrives we’ve had just a few named storms and maybe one hurricane. It is often during the last half of August that activity quickly ramps up toward the peak in mid-September, and then the Atlantic usually stays busy into October before settling down for the concluding month of November. 

When Harvey struck the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, he caused much damage. Not only were people affected in the direct area, but flooding has destroyed thousands of homes. People and animals are in need of help. Here are some charities where you can donate funds to assist those who are suffering.

Founded in 1836 where the Buffalo Bayou met White Oak Bayou, Houston has faced many floods. Not long after being established, the settlement flooded. Initially swamp land, people began to try and drain the area. Done with no planning, draining the land did not account for flooding rains. Flooding rains would come again and again over the next 180+ years.

After seeing the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, you might want to find a safer place to live than the hurricane prone Gulf Coast. While both the Gulf and East Coasts are prone to major hurricane landfalls, many areas of the country have risks. The Plains, Midwest, and Southeast have frequent tornadoes, much of the West has earthquakes, forest fires, and volcanoes, and while some northern areas have fewer natural disasters, they do have more snow and cold.

Rain continues to fall in the Houston Metro area as Harvey moves very slowly towards the Gulf of Mexico where he may re-strengthen and have another landfall near Galveston. Many neighborhoods are inundated by multiple feet of water and this disaster is not over yet.