Why Do We Name Storms After People?
Question
Why do we name storms after people?
Answer
Name: Courtney, New Malden
Qualification: Geography teacher
In the 70s, it was decided to start naming storms by short first names to help identify each one and inform the public which storm was happening when, because tropical storms and hurricanes can happen at the same time, so they need to identify them independently. If a hurricane is particularly intense and historic like ‘Katrina’ in 2005 the hurricane name will be retired and never used again, and if we have a season and use the letter ‘W’ and have had too many, then they start using the Greek alphabet.
