Today marks the first day of the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane season, and many indicators show that this season will likely be an active one.

The Atlantic Hurricane Season lasts through November 30th. The peak of hurricane activity is typically between mid August and mid October. For the first two months of the Hurricane season, it is generally slow. Any development usually happens in the Western Caribbean and even more rarely outside of that. Generally toward the second half of July it starts to heat up and things get really going mid August through mid October.

Wild weather is already upon us outside of the Atlantic basin. Another round of violent tornadoes went through Oklahoma on the last day of May, and the tropical Atlantic starts the year with remnants of a record-setting eastern Pacific Hurricane, Barbara, hanging around in the Gulf of Mexico. Although the remnants of Barbara are not likely to reorganize, this does add to the moisture, vorticity, and instability in the area.

The current pattern suggests that a greater number of tropical storms and hurricanes may make it further west than what we have been getting accustomed to lately, a few names not withstanding, so remaining vigilant is extra important this year. Still, hurricanes are rather rare events, so over hyping them is something that flhurricane likes to avoid.

It is nearing the 8th year that Florida has gone without a direct hurricane landfall, the last one occurring in 2005, with Hurricane Wilma.

The last hurricane to hit the US in general was "Supestorm Sandy" just last year, and before that, Isaac, along the gulf coast. Florida's luck has been pretty good lately, maybe too good, so by statistics alone, odds are much higher this year that Florida may be hit by a hurricane.

This recent dry spell is in itself becoming dangerous. Many newer coastal residents are not experienced with tropical cyclones, and even old-timers are getting apathetic.

It is important to be hurricane prepared. Have a plan. Know if you are in an evacuation area, and know when to leave (and when not to!). Have some supplies ready if you are in an area that may see hurricanes, and stay informed.

Hype is still a large problem when it comes to the media and storms, and this site still takes the point of view that hurricanes are rare events and that hype is counterproductive. Smart monitoring of the basin is more useful.

With the proliferation of social media sites, it's easier for information, (and misinformation), to get out. The Internet is filled with hype. I dislike hurricanes, but still want to learn as much about them as possible. Here you will find discussion and data geared to what is really going on, and not toward sensational reporting of the situation.

Be prepared!

The National Hurricane Center is still the best source for accurate information. Think of Flhurricane as a sort of supplement to the NHC. And there are plenty of other resources on the Internet and elsewhere that we frequently recommend looking at as well.

Confirm anything you read or see in multiple places when trying to decide on a plan of action for any particular storm, and when a storm gets very close, local sources, such as a dependable local news station with a reliable weather team, can become indispensable.

If a storm does not hit you, and you are ok, take advantage of social sites and texting (not phoning!) to let people know the status of yourself and your area, so that word can still spread, as telephone lines and cell towers often fail during natural disasters, or get completely overloaded.

The list of 2013 Hurricane Names is: Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dorian, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van, and Wendy.