Contents:
The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season has formed, with Tropical Storm Alberto hitting Texas and Mexico with some strong winds and heavy rain this week.
The storm formed around midday Wednesday with sustained winds of around 50 mph, and it is moving west at around 9 mph. It has already made landfall in northern Mexico, but the rain and flooding is affecting the entire western Gulf of Mexico region. Mudslides and serious flooding are expected across Mexico as over 20 inches of rain are expected in some areas, while southern Texas will receive around 5 inches.
The storm is actually a boon, in some cases, as much of northern Mexico has been suffering from severe drought. Water supplies for multiple towns are running dry, so this round of strong storms should help ot replenish that. However, there may still be negative effects on the surrounding areas, so hundreds of shelters have been set up, and schools are closed through Friday. Thankfully, Alberto is expected to quickly fizzle out over land, so the rain won't last long.
Tropical Storm Alberto is just the first of many storms to come this season. As the hurricane-helping weather pattern of La Niña begins, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted a very active season. Hurricane season is between June 1 and November 30, and NOAA expects 17-25 named storms, up to 13 hurricanes, and up to 4 major hurricanes. The average season contains 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. Meteorologists will be on the lookout for any potential storms coming up, but the number of storms really ramps up in August before peaking in September.
Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The winner of the 2015 French Scrabble Championship actually didn't even speak French. New Zealander Nigel Richards memorized the entire 386,000-word French Scrabble dictionary in nine weeks to win the tournament. He has also won the English World Scrabble Championship three times, the U.S. national championships five times, and the U.K. Open Scrabble tournament six times.
Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Never be ashamed of a scar, it simply means you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you. (Demi Lovato)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Jubilee (noun) - Jubilee usually refers to a special anniversary or a celebration of such an anniversary. It can also refer generally to a season of celebration or act of rejoicing, or to a religious song of African Americans referring to a time of future happiness.
In a Sentence: My grandparents will be celebrating their golden jubilee this year—as Grandpa puts it, "50 years of wedded bliss and occasional blisters."
Comments