Here's an impressive satellite record of Hurricane Irene's path, including over Long Island. Irene was significant in that it did quite a bit of damage to our power grid, but also because tropical weather systems exert a good deal of influence on the ocean's mixed layer and vice versa. Hurricanes are enormous heat engines, almost a "pressure relief valve" for the atmosphere.
The statistical peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is right around September 14, not in August as many people suspect.
Watch out! Tropical Depression #14A has formed and has been upgraded to Tropical Storm Maria. It'll be interesting, as always, to watch where it goes. Click on the link to see the latest info: TS Maria Information
