The 21 Names Selected for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season

When a tropical storm in the Atlantic Ocean grows beyond a certain point, it becomes a hurricane. To make sense of these storms, a list of predetermined names is used during hurricane season to track individual storms. Which names can we expect this year? We’re disclosing the 21 names selected for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season now.

When Is a Hurricane Named?

Storms resulting in a hurricane already have a name before they get strong enough to be a hurricane. They receive their name when they are upgraded to a subtropical or tropical storm. The United States National Hurricane Center names its subtropical and tropical storms when winds are more than 39 miles per hour for a minute or more at a time.

Who Picks Hurricane Names?

The World Meteorological Organization’s Hurricane Committee picks the names that are used for hurricanes. They maintain six lists that rotate every year. The last time the name being used in 2024 was active was in 2018.

Before 1977, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was in charge of naming hurricanes. Before 1947, the United States Army Air Forces named storms.

Sometimes names are retired from the list. One of the prevailing reasons is when a named storm is abnormally destructive. For example, the 2005 Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans was retired since it was such a deadly natural disaster. With some arbitrary removals added to the list, 96 different names are now retired from the rotating lists since their inception in 1953.

The 21 Names Selected for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season

These are the 21 names selected for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season:

1. Alberto
2. Beryl
3. Chris
4. Debby
5. Ernesto
6. Francine
7. Gordon
8. Helene
9. Isaac
10. Joyce
11. Kirk
12. Leslie
13. Milton
14. Nadine
15. Oscar
16. Patty
17. Rafael
18. Sara
19. Tony
20. Valerie
21. William

The list isn’t as long as the English alphabet because there are five missing letters: Q, U, X, Y, and Z. If more than 21 names are needed, there is an official supplemental list of approved names.

This list is a little bit different than its 2018 predecessor. Milton replaced Michael, and Francine replaced Florence.

The Supplemental List For Hurricane Names

When 21 storms are named in a single season, a supplemental list of hurricane names is needed. This is the supplemental list of names for the 2024 hurricane season:

1. Adria
2. Braylen
3. Caridad
4. Deshawn
5. Emery
6. Foster
7. Gemma
8. Heath
9. Isla
10. Jacobus
11. Kenzie
12. Lucio
13. Makayla
14. Nolan
15. Orlanda
16. Pax
17. Ronin
18. Sophie
19. Tayshaun
20. Viviana
21. Will

The first names to be retired occurred in 1955 when Hazel, Edna, and Carol were removed. Most years result in at least one name being retired. The last time no names were retired was in 2014.

Why Name Hurricanes?

Naming hurricanes makes it easier to talk about and track individual storms. It also makes communication simpler when multiple remote teams track simultaneous storms.

Before today’s naming system came into effect, storms were named after they were over. They were usually given the name of a saint, the location they affected the most, or were named after something famous that they damaged.

On average, 14 storms are named in one year. Seven of these named storms become hurricanes with three of these being major hurricanes.

When Is the Atlantic Hurricane Season in 2024?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from the first of June to November 30, 2024. However, storms that qualify as hurricanes occurring outside of these dates still may be considered part of the annual season.

It’s expected that the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will be an active year. That’s because most hurricanes track from a tropical spot in the ocean that is warmer than usual.

How Strong Are Hurricanes?

When a subtropical or tropical storm grows so much that it has sustained wind speeds of 74 miles per hour, it becomes a Category 1 hurricane. The National Hurricane Center maintains a numbering system to classify hurricanes based on wind speeds. Any hurricane with sustained winds above 111 miles per hour is considered a major hurricane, and it is usually very dangerous.

Here is a list of the hurricane categories used when classifying a large storm:

1. Category 1: Sustained winds between 74 to 96 miles per hour.
2. Category 2: Sustained winds between 96 and 110 miles per hour.
3. Category 3: Sustained winds between 111 and 129 miles per hour. The storm is now considered a major hurricane.
4. Category 4: Sustained winds between 130 to 156 miles per hour.
5. Category 5: Sustained winds above 157 miles per hour.

It’s important to remember that this scale is based only on the speed of the wind. Other uniquely dangerous co-occurrences like tornadoes, storm surges, and catastrophic rainfall can occur to varying degrees regardless of the storm’s assigned category. It’s not just wind that will injure you during a hurricane, so it’s important to take all protective measures necessary.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Trong Nguyen/Shutterstock.com