When meteorologist track a storm in the Atlantic Ocean, viewers often hear hurricanes referred to by a name, with different names chosen each season. With each new hurricane name appearing on nightly weather reports, the naming process seems to be a part of the hurricane reporting process that is wrapped in a little bit of mystery.
Naming Hurricanes
According to the National Weather Service, hurricane names are maintained on six lists maintained by the World Meteorological Organization. These lists are rotated every six years and names are reused as lists are reused. For example, the names that were used for hurricanes in 2008 will, with a few exceptions, will be used again in 2014. There is one name on the list for each letter of the English alphabet, with the exception of letters "Q," "U," "X," "Y," and "Z." In total, there are 21 names per year for storms occurring in the Atlantic Ocean. There are also lists for the Eastern North Pacific, Central North Pacific, Western North Pacific, and Australian regions.
In the event that there are more than 21 name-worthy storms in one season, subsequent storms are given the names of letters from the Greek alphabet, starting with alpha and going through omega. If a storm occurs at a time that it is not the traditional hurricane season, the name is chosen based on when the storm formed. If it formed before the end of the calendar year, then the previous season's list is used and the next available name is given. If a hurricane forms before the season has begun, then the first name on the upcoming season's list is assigned.
Retiring Hurricane Names
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says that sometimes, when an unusual powerful or catastrophic hurricane occurs, the name of the storm is retired and is removed from subsequent lists and replaced with another name. The reason, says the National Weather Service, is because of the sensitivity to the after effects of the storm and because of its inappropriate nature.
There are also some names that, when one of the first hurricane naming systems was established in 1950, were never used. These storms happened before 1950 and the storm's names were never included in any naming system.
Hurricanes are powerful storms that often make the news in some of the worst ways. The storm's names, often used for record keeping purposes, not only help the scientific community but the general public as they prepare for the oncoming storm.
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