It rained hard Thursday night, and the skies were still threatening the next morning during my photo hike. The 2012 Hurricane Season was officially open, even though there have already been two named storms. While unusual, it’s not unprecedented for storms to form before the traditional opening day, and even in recent years, extend past the November 31 closing.
I love watching and photographing storms. I was on the beach in ’08 when the outer bands of Hurricane Gustav rolled in and again last year when Tropical Storm Lee made its way ashore. I still have a healthy respect for these storms and their potential for catastrophic lost of property and lives. I do know when to take shelter, or to simply run.
Preparations continue in case a storm forms in the Gulf, and heads toward our little stretch of beach. We’ve been lucky the last several years. Gustav was the last storm that came close, and did any damage. I think we’re due. With the mild winter, and the early onset of summer temps, I’m worried this might be a bad year for people along the Gulf Coast.
Until then, I’ll keep going on hikes, and keep chasing storms… until I can’t.
(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, Nikon CoolPix S205 and/or iPhone4)
For more photos, please visit my Flickr photostream or my 365 Project Page.
To see other city scenes from around the world, check out Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City. Don’t forget to show the love to Mami and the other City contributors.
Thin spiral notebook 
WOW!!! The one of the birds made me gasp. GREAT capture!
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Tara, these photos took my breath away. INCREDIBLE.
Also, even though I am not really around, I am LOVING your layout and am vowing to come here EVERY day so I can stare at it in wonder. It’s absolutely GORGEOUS and fits you so perfectly!
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Oh WOW! Your photos are stunningly beautiful. 🙂
~Imelda
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I think this is going to be a bad year to live anywhere near the ocean in the Southern and Eastern U.S. That’s just my opinion. But the Gulf, first. Then Florida. Then the East Coast. Each, in its turn, will take a beating as the year progresses.
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I fear that you’re right. I’m really worried about this storm season.
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Very nice Tara. I love the new look of your page 🙂
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We have herons in Finland but I’ve never seen them here…
Great shots as always!
Have a good week!
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Oh, oh, oh… Gorgeous photos. Those skies! And those birds! Wow.
Happy SIMC, jj
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You are such a talented photographer. We are having quite the thunderstorm right now. Power outage imminent…
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Stunning shots, all. Love the one with the birds; the composition is spot on, but the cloud formations and the lighting are nonpareil. Thanks for sharing.
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The photos are amazing but the one with the birds should win some kind of award. Very cool!
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