The Names Of Hurricanes

All hurricanes are given names by the World Meteorological Organization so that they can be easily identified and tracked as they move across the oceans. At any one time, there can be more than one hurricane happening over different places. Without naming them, the people could get confused about which storm they are referring to.

For hundreds of years, hurricanes in the West Indies were named after the particular saint's day on which the hurricane occurred. Before the end of the 19th century, an Australian meteorologist began giving women's names to tropical storms. In 1953, the U.S. National Weather Service, which is the federal agency that tracks hurricanes and issues warnings and watches, began using female names for storms.

However in 1979, both women's and men's names were used. One name for each letter of the alphabet is selected, except for Q, U and Z. For Atlantic Ocean hurricanes, the names may be French, Spanish or English, since these are the major languages bordering the Atlantic Ocean where the storms occur.

The World Meteorological Organization decides what names are to be used each year, and uses six lists in rotation. The same lists are reused every six years. The only time a new name is added is when a hurricane is very deadly or costly. Then the name is retired, and a new name is chosen. For example, Hurricane Andrew was very deadly and costly. Therefore, the name "Andrew" was retired.

The Six-Year List of Hurricane Names for Atlantic Storms (2002 - 2007)

2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Arthur Bertha Cristobal Dolly Edouard Fay Gustav Hanna Isidore Josephine Kyle Lili Marco Nana Omar Paloma Rene Sally Teddy Vicky Wilfred	Ana Bill Claudette Danny Erika Fabian Grace Henri Isabel Juan Kate Larry Mindy Nicholas Odette Peter Rose Sam Teresa Victor Wanda	Alex Bonnie Charley Danielle Earl Frances Gaston Hermine Ivan Jeanne Karl Lisa Matthew Nicole Otto Paula Richard Shary Tomas Virginie Walter	Arlene Bret Cindy Dennis Emily Franklin Gert Harvey Irene Jose Katrina Lee Maria Nate Ophelia Philippe Rita Stan Tammy Vince Wilma	Alberto Beryl Chris Debby Ernesto Florence Gordon Helene Isaac Joyce Kirk Leslie Michael Nadine Oscar Patty Rafael Sandy Tony Valerie William	Andrea Barry Chantal Dean Erin Felix Gabrielle Humberto Ingrid Jerry Karen Lorenzo Melissa Noel Olga Pablo Rebekah Sebastien Tanya Van Wendy

The Six-Year List of Hurricane Names For Pacific Storms (2002 - 2007)

2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Alma Boris Cristina Douglas Elida Fausto Genevieve Hernan Iselle Julio Kenna Lowell Marie Norbert Odile Polo Rachel Simon Trudy Vance Winne Xavier Yolanda Zeke	Andres Blanca Carlos Dolores Enrique Felicia Guillermo Hilda Ignacio Jimena Kevin Linda Marty Nora Olaf Patricia Rick Sandra Terry Vivian Waldo Xina York Zelda	Agatha Blas Celia Darby Estelle Frank Georgette Howard Isis Javier Kay Lester Madeline Newton Orlene Paine Roslyn Seymour Tina Virgil Winifred Xavier Yolanda Zeke	Adrian Beatriz Calvin Dora Eugene Fernanda Greg Hilary Irwin Jova Kenneth Lidia Max Norma Otis Pilar Ramon Selma Todd Veronica Wiley Xina York Zelda	Aletta Bud Carlotta Daniel Emilia Fabio Gilma Hector Ileana John Kristy Lane Miriam Norman Olivia Paul Rosa Sergio Tara Vicente Willa Xavier Yolanda Zeke	Alvin Barbara Cosme Dalila Erick Flossie Gil Henriette Ivo Juliette Kiko Lorena Manuel Narda Octave Priscilla Raymond Sonia Tico Velma Wallis Xina York Zelda

Source:
http://www.fema.gov/kids/hunames.htm