I know, fall seems like when you think about raking leaves and shopping for platform boots (just me?). But a nasty hurricane could still strike, so don't let down your guard.

Some of the meanest hurricanes have struck in October and November, including Hazel, Kate, Wilma and Mitch.

In 2005, Wilma took the throne as the strongest-ever October hurricane, ousting Mitch, which landed in 1998. Florida residents remember well Wilma's destruction.

"Twisted steel everywhere, a crane fell from on top of a building onto Collins Avenue," said Robyn Ross who lives in Surfside near Miami and is a South Florida native. "It was like something out of Escape From New York."

Weather Channel meteorologist Stu Ostro says that more than 80 percent of hurricanes that hit the United States do so before October. BUT: "That's not 100 percent, and there have been deadly and destructive ones late in the season, so we need to remain vigilant."

You heard the man. So be prepared! Keep those survival kits supplied, buy batteries, and, most importantly, stock up on booze.

[The Weather Channel; Image: Distributorcapny]