Hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin, which includes the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
ON THIS PAGE Saffir-Simpson Scale | Deadliest | Costliest Vulnerable States | Busiest Months | 2008 Names
THE 2008 SEASON
- Ike Underscores Foolishness of Building on Barrier Islands
- Why Ike's Storm Surge Could Devastate Galveston
- Why Ike Could Be Texas' Worst Nightmare
- Hurricane History: Texas a Top Target
- Busy Year Predicted
Resources
Hurricane Science News
- Hurricanes: Our 5 Worst Fears
- How Strong Can a Hurricane Get?
- Hurricane Evacuations: A Better Way
- Flying into a Hurricane: First-Hand Account
- Calm Eye Fuels Hurricane Ferocity
- Forecasters Call for New Hurricane Classification
- Better Predictions for Hurricanes' Deadly Storm Surges
- Super-Hurricane Threat Extremely Low
- Key Found to Changes in Hurricane Intensity
- Old Data Supports Global Warming Link to Stronger Hurricanes
THE 2007 SEASON
- Forecast for Rest of Season: Busy
- Government Lowers Hurricane Forecast
- Forecasters Predict Fewer Hurricanes
- Where are All the Hurricanes?
- Premature Tropical Storm Not Due to Global Warming, Scientists Say
- Forecasters: 'Very Active' 2007 Hurricane Season
THE 2006 SEASON
News from 2006
- Man-made Climate Change Causing Stronger Hurricanes
- Hurricane Predictions: Can You Trust Them?
- Hurricanes to Unleash Dormant, Hidden Power
- Hurricane Alley Heats Up
- New Eye on Hurricanes Could Improve Forecasts
- Warmer Seas Creating Stronger Hurricanes, Study Confirms
THE 2005 SEASON
The Season that Wouldn't End
- Lots of Lightning in 2005 Hurricanes Baffles Scientists
- Rare December Hurricane Caps Record Year
- Record Hurricane Season Goes Out with a Bang
A Year of Concern and Reflection
- Schemes to Control the Weather Clouded by Failure
- Increase in Major Hurricanes Linked to Warmer Seas
- Wilma's Rage Suggests New Hurricane Categories Needed
Katrina: The Worst Storm Ever
More News from 2005
- Hurricane Center May Run Out of Names
- Trees Hold Record of Ancient Hurricane Activity
- Hurricane's Waves Soared to Nearly 100 Feet
- Surprise New Technique Improves Hurricane Tracking
- Like Wolves, Hurricanes Come in Packs
- History Reveals Hurricane Threat to New York City
- Vote Calls for Keeping Hurricane 'Line'
Related Stories
- The Odds of Dying
- Rare Backward Hurricane
- Rare One-Two Tropical Punch
- Billion Dollar Weather Disasters
- Natural Disasters: Top 10 U.S. Threats
- Global Disaster Deaths and Costs Swell
- The Deadly 2004 Hurricane Season
- Disaster Hotspots
Tropical Storm Names
Military weather forecasters began giving women's names to significant storms during WWII, then in 1950 the World Meteorological Organization agreed to an alphabetical naming system, using the military's radio code. The first named Atlantic hurricane was Able in 1950.
Officials soon realized the naming convention would cause problems in the history books if more than one powerful Hurricane Able made landfall. So, in 1953 the organization adopted a rotating series of women's names, planning to retire names of significant storms.
Feminists urged the WMO to add men's names, which was done in 1979. The boy-girl-boy-girl naming convention evolved to include French and Spanish names in the Atlantic system, reflecting the languages of the nations affected by Carribean hurricanes.
Twenty-one names are reserved each year (the letters q, u, x, y and z are not used), and the names are recycled every six years, minus those retired. When a name is retired, the World Meteorological Organization chooses a new name to replace it.
Related Stories:
SOURCE: National Hurricane Center Research by Michael Schirber and Robert Roy Britt
Image Galleries
Summary by Category: Hurricanes that Hit U.S. Coast (Texas to Main) from 1900-2004
Deadliest Atlantic-basin Hurricanes (Not updated to include Katrina in 2005)
Costliest U.S. Hurricanes (adjusted for inflation, in year-2000 dollars) (Not updated to include Katrina in 2005)
Direct Hits, 1900-2004
Major Hurricanes (Cat. 3-5) to Hit U.S. Coast (Texas to Main) from 1900-2004
Arthur Bertha Cristobal Dolly Edouard Fay Gustav Hanna Ike Josephine Kyle Laura Marco Nana Omar Paloma Rene Sally Teddy Vicky Wilfred
