Welcome to the third “Storm Summary” post of the hurricane season. Each Friday from now until the official end of the season (November 30) I will post an update on past and present storms, like the following:

Hurricane Felicia (now a category 3) and the recently downgraded tropical depression Enrique are dangerously close together in the Eastern Pacific waters, not far from Hawaii. Meteorologists fear Felicia may overtake Enrique, adding even more strength to the already massive storm. Island residents are preparing for the worst.

What seems like constant storm activity in the Pacific is due, in part, to El Niño, which is “the periodic warming of central and eastern tropical Pacific waters [that] occurs on average every two to five years and typically lasts about 12 months.” Although most people think of this phenomenon in negative terms for the damage it can spur on the West Coast, it is actually beneficial to the East Coast/Gulf Coast in the sense that warmer waters in the Pacific usually create conditions that suppress Atlantic hurricanes. Why exactly this occurs is not something I’m qualified to explain but, as I recall, it has something to do with warm and cool air mixing in a different way and creating a “wind shear” that helps prevent storms from developing.

The International Research Institute for Climate and Society can probably explain it better.

As the Pacific hurricane season rages on, the Atlantic has remained relatively calm.

For constant, up-to-date storm information, visit NOAA. And for breaking information on the insured losses the storms create, check out the Insurance Information Institute and the Insurance Services Office.

Most importantly, don’t forget to check back next Friday for our fourth “Storm Summary” installment.

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