As of today, it's officially hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin. That includes the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea. Officially, the season lasts until November Thirtieth. There have been some hurricanes in the Atlantic outside the official season, but very few - in the last 100 years, just 3 before June 1...and 4 after November 30.

Here's the list of names for storms this year in the Atlantic Basin. A storm gets a name when its sustained winds reach 39 mph - then it's a tropical storm. If winds intensify to 74 mph, the tropical storm graduates to a hurricane.

Thousands of web sites post current hurricane information, but nearly all of them get their information from the National Hurricane Center. At the hurricane center's web site, www.nhc.noaa.gov, you know you're getting the official word on everything tropical.