Irene Becomes First Hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season

August 23, 2011August 23, 2011 Guest Author

According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, Irene became the Atlantic basin’s first hurricane of the 2011 season when its winds strengthened to 75 miles per hour at about 5:00 AM Monday morning as it was exiting Puerto Rico’s northern coast. Currently a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with sustained winds of 80 mph, Irene is expected to strengthen further over the next few days, potentially reaching Category 3 status by Saturday, depending on how long it remains over the ocean. “Hurricane Irene is the ninth…

Tropical Storm Emily Forms in the Caribbean, Heads Toward Hispaniola

August 2, 2011 Guest Author

BOSTON, Aug. 2, 2011- According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, late last week, a wave off the west coast of Africa, 91L, began to slowly organize as it moved west across the Atlantic. Monday night, 91L formed a closed surface circulation and developed into the fifth named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Emily. As of the National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) 11:00 AM EST advisory, the storm is located approximately 270 miles southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and is currently near stationary in the Caribbean…