So, I noticed a report that Hurricane Kenna is hitting Mexico pretty hard and seeing that they had got to "K" with the names this season, I was immediately launched into action. Unless you're new to the alphabet, you know that "K" comes after "J," and every year I try to keep track of Hurricane/Tropical Storm names to see if "Jake" or "Jacob" will come up, so that I can cheer on "my" storm. Some of you may think this is sick and wrong, and well... umm... you're probably right... but that's not the point.

Having not heard anything about a storm named "Jake" or "Jacob" this year, or for that matter any "J" storms, I found this NOAA website (two sidenotes here: 1. isn't Google just the best, and 2. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is fast becoming my favorite governmental administration. I mean, how can you not like NOAA? Check out their home page here) which tells you all you need to know about Wordlwide Tropical Cyclone names. I did find "Jacob" in the Western Australia Region, so I guess I should plan to take that Australia trip when Hubert or Isobel is beginning to stir.

I also noticed, in my web searches, that FEMA has a "kids" website (I know I would want a plucky hermit crab to teach me everything I need to know about surviving disasters) and that hurricane names are often "retired" when there is a real hum-dinger (and check out the handy chart, don't you just love USA Today?).