If this model holds true, it is shaping up to be damp next week. Fortunately, it looks like the tropical storm will lose considerable strength by the time it were to reach us. Historically, the hurricanes to reach us via the Gulf are the most destructive. For example, Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Opal in 1995 both came from this direction. On the other hand, storms that approach us from the direction of the Carolina's coastline are far less troublesome. Perhaps it has to do with the amount of land it has to traverse and it slows down substantially.