Now that we are approaching the most active time of the tropical season, you might like to track tropical activity for yourself. The New Orleans Times-Picayune has a great primer on how to use the National Hurricane Center web site to look at tropical outlooks and storm forecasts. Check it out by clicking here.
Meanwhile, Phys.org recently published an article showing that land-falling tropical storms and other environmental disasters have economic impacts that last far longer than the 1-2 years many people believe. Areas affected by Andrew (1992) and Katrina (2005) are still being felt decades later. On average, a storm that occurs once every ten years can reduce income by 7.4 percent two decades later, according to the study. You can read a story about the study by clicking here.