Goodnight Irene, Hello Irma

We’re a month out from the start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, so this is our reminder to check your homeowners, wind, and flood insurance if you live in any area where hurricanes are a threat.

In other hurricane-related news, we’ve heard from the folks at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that because last year’s Hurricane Irene caused more than $15 billion in damage and the deaths of 49 people, the name is being retired from the storm name list.

The list is actually two lists, one of male names, one of female names, which are assigned to significant storms in alternating-gender alphabetical order. Storm names are reused every six years, unless they cause significant damage or a high number of casualties, in which case – like Irene – they are retired from use. Irene is the 76th such retirement from the Atlantic list since 1954.

The official retirement came on Friday, April 20th, and NOAA says the decision was made by the World Meteorological Organization’s hurricane committee. It will be replaced by the name Irma.