Tropical Storm Bill Bears Down On Texas

Via the Weather Channel:

Tropical Storm Bill is headed toward a landfall this morning along the Texas coast and is poised to deliver more torrential rain and flash flooding to flood-weary parts of the South. The peak storm surge will occur as the center moves inland this morning, coinciding with an early morning high tide along the Upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts. Some minor coastal flooding is also possible as far east as southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Winds were already gusting over 50 mph on offshore oil rigs. Tropical storm-force winds will spread ashore this morning as the center moves inland. Flood watches have already been posted from Texas to southern Illinois in advance of Bill and its remnant.

PROPOSAL: Name Hurricanes After Politicians That Deny Climate Change

This is fantastic. (Tipped by JMG reader Philip)

NYC Expands Storm Evacuation Zones

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, New York City has greatly expanded the boundaries of the mandatory hurricane evacuation zones.  Gothamist reports:

The mayor's office says that the new "zones are based on coastal flood risk resulting from storm surge - the 'dome' of ocean water propelled by the winds and low barometric pressure of a hurricane; the geography of the city’s low-lying neighborhoods; and the accessibility of these neighborhoods by bridge and roads." And the new zones "include an additional 600,000 New Yorkers not included within the boundaries of the former zones. The increased number of zones will provide the City with more flexibility in targeting areas to evacuate in advance of a predicted storm.

Exactly where one million people are supposed to go is not explained.

New Hurricane Names Released

Via the National Weather Service:

The six lists above are used in rotation and re-cycled every six years, i.e., the 2013 list will be used again in 2019. The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. If that occurs, then at an annual meeting by the WMO committee (called primarily to discuss many other issues) the offending name is stricken from the list and another name is selected to replace it.

Sandy has been retired from the list. Forecasters are predicting a "worse than average" hurricane season, which officially starts on June 1st.