Tropical Storm Chris, as seen by satellite in this Navy pix, is expected to become the first hurricane of the season. It already looks aimed eventually at the Dry Tortugas, off southwest Florida, according to Navy estimates shared by the National Hurricane Center. Some folks are already wondering if it will hit the Texas coast by next week.
UPDATE Troy Kimmel, chief meteorologist, KVET/KASE/KFMK Radio in Austin, sent me a flash graphic from the weather service’s forecast which shows a big high keeping Chris in mid-Gulf, well south of New Orleans, for instance, then trending straight into Galveston-Houston. But because it’s more than five days out, the graphic drops Chris as a hurricane and has it hitting Texas only as a big low. Which must be an artifact of their forecasting process, because there’s nothing along the way to make Chris lose his hurricane status. But our other meteorologist friend, Bob Rose, thinks Chris could go in at mid- or even lower-coast.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 
Dick,
I’m about to visit St Thomas for a fundraiser and will evidently have a shot at experiencing my first hurricane since Connie in 1955, while aboard the USS Constitution, enroute to Naples. I seem to remember having hurled once or twice, during her worst excesses. Hope the golf course ain’t flooded.
Tucker
A commenter at this site http://stormcarib.com/ which tracks hurricanes through the outer islands says Chris isn’t expected to bring St. Thomas more than some wind, passing almost 100 miles north of the island. Thanks for stopping by!
You know, the hurricane in 1955 referenced above was misnamed. Should have been Camille. Sorry bout that.
Tucker