What’s In a Name?
In the United States, weather scientists, or meteorologists, didn’t begin using people’s names to identify hurricanes and tropical storms until the 1950s. Until that time, storms were usually given names that explained where and when they happened. For example, one hurricane was called “the 1821 Norfolk and Long Island Hurricane.” Meteorologists needed a better way to quickly identify a storm and to share information about it. They decided to give the storms people names. At first, they used names of people that they knew, and, only female names were used. In 1979, the National Weather Service and the World Meteorological Association decided that the names would alternate, or go back and forth, between male and female names.Â
This image shows Hurricane Camille in 1969. The hurricane struck Cuba and parts of the United States.
There are six lists of names that meteorologists use to identify storms. Each year, a different one of these lists is used. The first hurricane of the year always starts with the letter “A.” The hurricane that recently struck the east coast of the United States was named Irene. “I” is the ninth letter of the alphabet. That means that Irene was the ninth hurricane or tropical storm to form this year. Each time a storm officially becomes a tropical storm or hurricane, it is given the next name on the list.
There have been two other hurricanes in history named Irene. But there may never be another. If a storm is strong enough to affect a lot of people, its name is retired. That means the name cannot be used again. The name “Camille” is retired—and that’s okay by me!
TLX News Journal: History Activity
What name will be used for the next tropical storm or hurricane? Use the Internet to find the lists of names that are used.
