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Courtesy Of USA Today
Tropical storms and hurricanes are given names to avoid confusion when more than one storm
is being followed at the same time. A storm is named when it reaches tropical storm
strength with winds of 39 mph. A storm becomes a hurricane when its wind speed reaches 75
mph.
Separate sets of hurricane names are used in the central Pacific, eastern Pacific, and the
Atlantic Basin, which includes the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The World
Meteorological Organization's Region 4 Hurricane Committee selects the names for Atlantic
Basin storms. The names are English, Spanish and French - the languages spoken in the
national Atlantic Basin storms hit. They alternate between male and female names. The
group has selected six sets of names, which means each set of names is used again each six
years.
Forecasters begin using names in 1950. In that year and in 1951, names were from the
international phonetic alphabet in use at the time - Able, Baker, Charlie, etc. Female,
English-language names were used beginning in 1953.
Alternating male and female names were first used to name Atlantic Basin hurricanes in
1979. This was also the first year that French and Spanish names, as well as English, were
used. The first three male names used, Bob, David and Frederick have all been retired because they did tremendous
damage. Frederick and David were retired because of the damage they did in 1979. Bob was
retired after a hurricane by that name hit New England in 1991.
The first storm each year in the Atlantic Basin and in the eastern Pacific gets an 'A'
name. But the year's first hurricane in the central Pacific from 140 degrees west
longitude to the International Date Line and the first typhoon west of the Date Line get
the next available name on the list, no matter what letter it begins with..
Source: The USA TODAY Weather Book by Jack Williams
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Why Hurricanes Are Named
