Each year the World Meteorological Organization releases one of six lists of names for Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes. If this year’s names sound familiar, that’s because they were last used in 2015. This year’s list will move back into rotation in 2027.
If a storm is particularly devastating, the name may be retired, like Hurricane Katrina, and replaced with a new name. If a hurricane season is particularly active and more than 21 storms form, the additional storms are named after letters in the Greek alphabet.
To be named, a storm has to have wind speeds of at least 39 miles per hour and have a rotating circular pattern.
This year’s names are:
- Ana
- Bill
- Claudette
- Danny
- Elsa
- Fred
- Grace
- Henri
- Ida
- Julian
- Kate
- Larry
- Mindy
- Nicholas
- Odette
- Peter
- Rose
- Sam
- Teresa
- Victor
- Wanda
