Trying to understand a hurricane is tough for even the most seasoned meteorologists. 

That makes big storms like hurricanes really tough to explain to kids. 

Here are some great websites which help do just that...

Here it is 3 weeks later, and people all across this great country are still showing amazing acts of humanity to make things a little easier for those whose lives were affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Case in point: Taylor Rutledge from Clarksville, Tennessee put together sixty (60) backpacks and loaded them each with lots of fun stuff and necessities... just for kids.

Taylor's parents, Jeremiah and Tawana, have a right to be proud of their daughter. In response to Katrina: A FUN Way To Help!, they submitted this photo, along with the following story describing Taylor's heroic "Hugs For Hurricane Victims Drive".

To all of our readers and their friends & families who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina:

While a site called The Fun Times Guide may not seem like an obvious place to extend a hand to the survivors dealing with Katrina's brutal aftermath... it's the best we've got.

Following are the responses received to our Katrina Blog -- a request for photographs that depict "good news"... people helping people and having a POSITIVE impact on the lives of Hurricane Katrina's victims.

If you haven't sent in your photo yet, you've got until September 18th September 30th to submit a photo that shows you or your family doing something that's POSITIVE and DIRECTLY RELATED to the ongoing relief efforts.

Reminder: Every photo = another donation to the American Red Cross!

Here's where the idea came from.

Here's the form to submit a photo. (expired)

To get us started, here's one I took today...

You can learn a lot about a person by what they pack during an evacuation!

With all that's going on hurricane-wise lately... first Charley (which hit hardest just south of Tampa, Fla.), then Frances, most recently Ivan (which destroyed the city we used to live in - Pensacola, Fla.), and up-and-coming Jeanne (who knows where that one's headed!) - I've done a lot of reflecting lately about my time spent in Florida and a couple close calls with Hurricanes while I was living there.

In March of 1998, the part of Orlando that I lived in was just a few miles from a wildfire that was burning out of control. (To this day, there's still evidence of the widespread fire damage -- all the way from Cocoa Beach to Orlando!)

For days, it was touch and go whether we'd have to evacuate or not. Since my little apartment in Orlando was a bit to close for comfort, here's what I packed for the impending evacuation: