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Pre-set lists -

Hurricane names are predetermined and organized into six alphabetical lists maintained by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). These lists are rotated every six years, ensuring that the names remain consistent and familiar to the public. 

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Rotation every six years -

The rotation means that the 2024 names, which start with Alberto and end with William, will be reused in 2030, maintaining a sense of continuity in hurricane naming conventions.

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Tropical storm naming -

A developing cyclone receives a name once it reaches the classification of a tropical storm, which requires sustained winds of at least 39 mph (63 kmh). This naming process helps meteorologists and the public easily track and communicate about the storm.

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Becoming a hurricane -

When a tropical storm's maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph (119 kmh), it's officially classified as a hurricane. This categorization is crucial for issuing warnings.

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Historical naming practices -

Historically, storm names were more random, sometimes named after saints or locations impacted by the storm.

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Example of a random name -

For example, an 1842 storm that hit a boat named Antje and ruined its mast was called Antje's hurricane. 

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Alphabetical naming system -

Meteorologists adopted an alphabetical naming system to create order and clarity, assigning an "A" name to the first storm of the season, a "B" name to the second, and so on.

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Origin of the name list -

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) created the list of names in 1953, initially using only women's names. 

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Alternating names since the '70s -

In 1979, the lists started alternating between women's and men's names. That's also when the six current lists entered the rotation.

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Pacific hurricane names -

Pacific hurricane names follow the same system but have their own designated lists.

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Retirement of names -

Hurricane names can be retired if a storm is particularly deadly or destructive. 

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Committee decision for retirement -

The decision to remove a name from the list is made at a committee meeting organized by the NHC. 

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Sensitivity after disasters -

Retiring hurricane names helps to avoid insensitivity toward those affected by such disasters.

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Notable name changes -

Over the years, some names have been altered without clear reasons. For example, in 1966, the name Fern was changed to Frieda, according to the NHC. 

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Multiple retirements possible -

In particularly devastating hurricane seasons, multiple names can be retired due to the storms' catastrophic impacts.

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Katrina's replacement -

Katrina, known for its devastating impact on New Orleans in 2005, was replaced by the name Katia in subsequent lists.

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Floyd's replacement -

Similarly, the name Floyd, which was associated with a significant hurricane in 1999, was later replaced with the name Franklin.

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Recent name retirements -

In 2017, several names were retired due to their destructive impacts, including Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate.

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Ida's replacement -

Ida, a hurricane that caused severe damage in 2021, was also retired. It will be replaced by the name Imani in 2027. 

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Other replacements -

After the storms of 2022, several names were retired, including Ian, which was replaced with Idris, and Fiona, replaced with Farrah.

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Total retired names -

Since 1953, the World Meteorological Organization has retired 94 hurricane names.  

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2024 hurricane names -

The list of 2024 hurricane names includes 21 selected names, beginning with Alberto and ending with William. 

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A variation of names -

Familiar names like Chris, Isaac, and Sara are on the list, alongside less common ones like Nadine, Tara, and Milton.

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Not all letters are on the list -

There are only 21 names on the hurricane list, as the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z are excluded due to the difficulty in finding enough common names that start with these letters.

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Names for the following years -

The NHC maintains six rotating name lists for upcoming years, with the 2025 names including Lorenzo, Erin, Jerry, and Tanya.

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Running out of names -

In the event that the alphabetical names run out, the WMO has a supplemental list ready to use.

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Occasions for supplemental lists -

This supplemental list has only been used twice in the last 15 years, with the most recent instance occurring in 2020. During that season, the primary list of names was used up by mid-September.

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Ending Greek alphabet use -

The WMO used to use the Greek alphabet when they ran out of names, but decided at a committee meeting in 2021 that the practice would end.

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Reasons for ending the use of Greek names -

The reason was that Greek names often drew too much attention, were difficult to pronounce for some, and shifted focus away from the actual impact of the storm.

Sources: (CBS News) (World Meteorological Organization) 

See also: What is the economical impact of hurricane season?

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