With the recent devastation caused by Katrina and Rita, the storms will be remembered for the severe impact they had on the South. Though some will not remember the size of the storm, they will remember its name.
In 1953 the United States adopted the concept to name storms. At that time, storms were named solely after women. In 1978 the National Weather Service began to include male names in the lists. There are six lists comprised of 21 names, alternating every year between genders. Every six years, the lists are reset to the beginning, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The concept of naming storms came out of necessity. It became relevant for ships at sea to receive information on storms in their area, and the use of short, distinctive names was found to be quicker and less subject to error, according to the NOAA.
The use of these names was especially useful when two storms happened at the same time. In the past, confusion has arisen when storm advisories were mistaken for warning concerning an entirely different storm located hundreds of miles away, according to the National Hurricane Center.
When a hurricane causes significant damage, any country affected by the storm can request that the name of the hurricane be retired by agreement of the World Meteorological Organization.
In reference to the increased amount of hurricanes, students have mixed reactions. “It’s a little scary,” said Naomi Strickland, a freshman from Kissimmee, Fla., “It could be a sign of the times.”
Some students are a little more skeptical.
“We don’t have much record of weather trends, especially with hurricanes … It could easily be a trend in the weather caused by a warming of the waters or decreased trade winds,” said McLean Carpenter, a freshman from Sammamish, Wash.
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