Architecture - Hurricane Names

Author

Hurricane Names

Don

2005-09-17, 9:21 am

Q. What happens if we run out of names before the end of season? And why
aren't all the letters of the alphabet used?

A. If we go through all the names on the list this year (which may happen),
there is a procedure in place at the National Hurricane Center to continue
naming storms. The "new" list would be the Greek alphabet: Alpha, Beta,
Gamma, etc. ... It will be very interesting to see if we get there this
year.

Hurricanes used to be designated by latitude-longitude, which was a great
way for meteorologists to track them. But the general public had trouble
plotting the coordinates, so the storms were given names for public benefit.
It was easier to keep track of a storm that was named vs. one that was
referred to only by its geographic location.

In 1953, the National Weather Service picked up the Naval meteorologists'
habit of naming the storms after women. It made sense at the time. Ships
were given women's names, so why not name storms after women, too?

In the '50s, the rationale also included using women's names because women
could be "temperamental." Naturally that thinking had to change and in 1979,
male names were added to the list as well. Another interesting note: the
letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z aren't used; not sure why, they just aren't.

There are six lists of names in use for storms in the Atlantic. These lists
rotate, so this year's names won't come up again until 2011. Each time the
list comes up the names are the same, except when a storm is so devastating
that using its name again seems inappropriate. In this case, the name is
taken off the list and another name is used to replace it.

There will never be another Andrew, and you can bet there will never be
another Hurricane Katrina. Most likely there won't be another Charley,
Frances, Ivan or Jeanne, either.

Before a hurricane gets a name it has to go through the cycle of development
that starts with a tropical wave, tropical depression and then a tropical
storm. Once the storm is named, it keeps that name through its life cycle.

Hurricanes in the Pacific are named in the same way, but once they move west
and cross the International Dateline they are renamed and called a typhoon.

RicodJour

2005-09-17, 11:21 pm

Don wrote:
> Q. What happens if we run out of names before the end of season? And why
> aren't all the letters of the alphabet used?
>
>
> A. If we go through all the names on the list this year (which may happen),
> there is a procedure in place at the National Hurricane Center to continue
> naming storms. The "new" list would be the Greek alphabet: Alpha, Beta,
> Gamma, etc. ... It will be very interesting to see if we get there this
> year.
{snip}
>
> Before a hurricane gets a name it has to go through the cycle of development
> that starts with a tropical wave, tropical depression and then a tropical
> storm. Once the storm is named, it keeps that name through its life cycle.
>
> Hurricanes in the Pacific are named in the same way, but once they move west
> and cross the International Dateline they are renamed and called a typhoon.

Thanks for the information, Weatherman Don. Can't wait for the lesson
on how pencils are made...

R

Michael $LS$

2005-09-18, 3:21 am

"Don" <one-if-by-land@concord.com> wrote in message
news:YrTWe.13680$FW1.10058@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
<<snipped>>
> except when a storm is so devastating
> that using its name again seems inappropriate. In this case, the name is
> taken off the list and another name is used to replace it.
>
> There will never be another Andrew, and you can bet there will never be
> another Hurricane Katrina.
<<snipped>>

Damn, I'll have to tell my daughter that (any chance they could just spell
it correctly a use the name again?). Also, my youngest daughter wants to
know if there will be a "Melanie" this year so she can be like her big
sister.

Michael (LS)

3D Peruna

2005-09-18, 10:21 am

"Don" <one-if-by-land@concord.com> wrote in message
news:YrTWe.13680$FW1.10058@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>
> Q. What happens if we run out of names before the end of season? And why
> aren't all the letters of the alphabet used?
>
>
> A. If we go through all the names on the list this year (which may
> happen), there is a procedure in place at the National Hurricane Center to
> continue naming storms. The "new" list would be the Greek alphabet: Alpha,
> Beta, Gamma, etc. ... It will be very interesting to see if we get there
> this year.
>
> Hurricanes used to be designated by latitude-longitude, which was a great
> way for meteorologists to track them. But the general public had trouble
> plotting the coordinates, so the storms were given names for public
> benefit. It was easier to keep track of a storm that was named vs. one
> that was referred to only by its geographic location.
>
> In 1953, the National Weather Service picked up the Naval meteorologists'
> habit of naming the storms after women. It made sense at the time. Ships
> were given women's names, so why not name storms after women, too?
>
> In the '50s, the rationale also included using women's names because women
> could be "temperamental." Naturally that thinking had to change and in
> 1979, male names were added to the list as well. Another interesting note:
> the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z aren't used; not sure why, they just aren't.

I thought it used to be that Atlantic storms were women's names and Pacific
names were men's. Because there were fewer (almost none) Pacific hurricanes
that hit the US, "they" changed the naming convention.

Don

2005-09-18, 12:21 pm

"3D Peruna"> wrote
> I thought it used to be that Atlantic storms were women's names and
> Pacific names were men's. Because there were fewer (almost none) Pacific
> hurricanes that hit the US, "they" changed the naming convention.

It used to be that way but then, you know what, happened.
All things had to be made *equal* whether they were or not.
Impressions + Feelings + Arrogancy = USSA.

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