When powerful storms form over oceans, they are given names. This practice helps people track and communicate about these natural phenomena, and naming conventions have evolved significantly over time, reflecting changes in meteorological practices and societal norms. Naming aids clear communication among meteorologists, emergency services, and the public, allowing for easy identification, especially when multiple storms are active simultaneously.
The Origins of Hurricane Naming
Early hurricane naming practices were often informal and varied, with storms sometimes named after the saint’s day on which they occurred or the place they impacted. For instance, some Caribbean islanders named tropical cyclones after patron saints in the 1800s. Before 1950, hurricanes in the United States were identified by the year and order of their occurrence, such as “1942A.” During World War II, U.S. Navy and Air Force meteorologists began informally naming tropical storms after their wives and girlfriends, finding it an easier method for reference.
This informal practice gained traction, leading to a more structured approach. In 1953, the U.S. National Weather Bureau, now known as the National Weather Service, adopted a system that exclusively used female names for Atlantic storms. The rationale is not definitively documented, but it may have been influenced by maritime traditions of referring to ships and the ocean with female pronouns. Some historical accounts suggest male meteorologists of the era perceived hurricanes as unpredictable, similar to a common, albeit sexist, stereotype of women, leading to the adoption of female names.
This naming convention continued for over two decades, with lists of female names rotating for Atlantic hurricanes. The simplicity of using short, memorable names helped avoid confusion that arose with technical identifiers. However, this gender-specific system would eventually face scrutiny as societal views on gender evolved.
The Shift to Inclusive Naming
The exclusive use of female names for hurricanes began to draw criticism in the 1970s, coinciding with broader social movements advocating for gender equality. Many saw the practice as outdated and perpetuating harmful stereotypes. Activists, including Florida feminist Roxcy Bolton, campaigned for a change, arguing that women “deeply resent being arbitrarily associated with disaster.”
These advocacy efforts led to a decision by international meteorological bodies. In 1979, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which maintains hurricane names globally, officially incorporated male names into the hurricane naming lists for the Atlantic basin. This change moved towards a more inclusive and equitable system, introducing alternating male and female names for balanced representation.
This transition reflected a modern understanding of gender roles and a desire for a naming system less prone to misinterpretation or offense. The shift was also adopted for Pacific storms in 1978, a year before it was implemented for Atlantic storms. This aimed to remove any perceived gender bias from the naming of natural disasters.
How Hurricane Names Are Chosen Today
Today, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) oversees the global hurricane naming process, maintaining comprehensive lists for different ocean basins. For the Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific, six alphabetical lists of names alternate between male and female names. These lists rotate every six years, meaning a list used in a particular year will be reused six years later.
A storm receives a name once it reaches tropical storm strength, defined by sustained winds of at least 39 miles per hour. The names chosen are short, distinctive, and easy to pronounce, which helps reduce communication errors among meteorologists, emergency services, and the public. Certain letters, such as Q, U, X, Y, and Z, are excluded from the main lists because there are not enough common names beginning with them.
The current system includes the retirement of names for devastating storms. If a hurricane causes extensive damage or loss of life, its name is removed from the rotating lists to avoid insensitivity and prevent future confusion. Any impacted country can request its retirement, which the WMO’s Hurricane Committee then considers. When a name is retired, it is replaced with a new name of the same gender and starting letter. This practice ensures that names like Katrina, Sandy, and Harvey, which caused immense damage, are never reused for future storms.