Naming Hurricanes
The sole reason that hurricanes and tropical
storms have names is for better communication. While one storm is in the area and another
one is brewing nearby, giving them names helps to identify which one the meteorologist is
talking about. The idea of naming hurricanes is attributed to an Australian forecaster,
who named the storms after people he did not like. However, today the World Meteorological
Organization has come up with rules and procedures for names. The names are selected and
member countries vote to accept them at their annual meeting.
The names follow a six-year cycle so the 1992 names are the same ones
used now for 1998. If there is extensive property damage and loss of life, that name is
retired. For example, hurricane Andrew was replaced with Alex. Andrew hit south Florida in
August of 1992. It was a category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 145 mph with gusts
up to 175 mph and a storm surge of 16.9 feet in Biscayne Bay. It leveled the town of
Homestead completely and continued across the gulf, hitting New Orleans, Mississippi, and
then crossed the Bahamas. In Florida, over 3000 miles worth of telephone poles were
destroyed. Drinking water and electricity were non-existent for at least a week. Cost of
damages was estimated to be 25 billion dollars, the most costly natural disaster in the
United States.