? about names using Greek Alphabet

[cinlfla]

My husband and I had a conversation about a storms name after they use all of the given names. I know this topic has come up before and I know that they will use the Greek alphabet he is telling me that it will go something like this....Alpha2005, Beta2005 is this correct?

[jimvb]

I found this on Weather Underground, from http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml

"In the event that more than 21 named tropical cyclones occur in the Atlantic basin in a season, additional storms will take names from the Greek alphabet: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and so on."

So apparently the names don't have the year tacked on.

[cinlfla]

In the event that more than 21 named tropical cyclones occur in the Atlantic basin in a season, additional storms will take names from the Greek alphabet: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and so on.

I read this on the site but it does not say whether or not they would or would not add the 2005 to the name it would make sense to me if they did. what if they had to retire the name? they could not retire Alpha because they would have to use it again in the event that they had used all 21 names again....Does this make sense to anyone.

[jimvb]

I am sure the NHC has not thought all this out ahead, because it does not expect Alpha to come too often. Some of the options I can think of if Alpha is a major storm and has to be retired are:

Adding the year as you say.
Simply omitting it; next year, William would be followed by Beta
Calling it Alpha1
Using Hebrew letters; i.e., William, Aleph, Beta, Gamma...
Incrementing the name; next year, it would be Alphb

When this occurs, then the NHC will do something.

[gilbert88]

They most likely won't retire an Alpha, Beta, etc. storm no matter how bad it is. It's like retiring a number for a costly/deadly TD (and there have been some bad ones... ask Haiti).

I'd like them to start doing like the WPAC and starting each year with the next name of the past year's list. (For example... 2005 would've started with Paula). That way they won't run out of names so quickly (the "I" names are getting stranger with each replacement), and the Greek letter affair would be solved.

[Terrell]

They most likely won't retire an Alpha, Beta, etc. storm no matter how bad it is. It's like retiring a number for a costly/deadly TD (and there have been some bad ones... ask Haiti).

I'd like them to start doing like the WPAC and starting each year with the next name of the past year's list. (For example... 2005 would've started with Paula). That way they won't run out of names so quickly (the "I" names are getting stranger with each replacement), and the Greek letter affair would be solved.

That sounds like a very good idea. Especially if Alpha, or any of the storms that follow, are storms worthy of retirement.

[Anonymous]

I'd like them to start doing like the WPAC and starting each year with the next name of the past year's list. (For example... 2005 would've started with Paula). That way they won't run out of names so quickly (the "I" names are getting stranger with each replacement), and the Greek letter affair would be solved.

If they did, then this year...

Hurricane Tomas would have been Dennis
Hurricane Virginie would have been Emily
Hurricane Emily would have been Katrina
SOON to be Rita would have been Katrina

[f5]

I'd like them to start doing like the WPAC and starting each year with the next name of the past year's list. (For example... 2005 would've started with Paula). That way they won't run out of names so quickly (the "I" names are getting stranger with each replacement), and the Greek letter affair would be solved.

If they did, then this year...

Hurricane Tomas would have been Dennis
Hurricane Virginie would have been Emily
Hurricane Emily would have been Katrina
SOON to be Rita would have been Katrina

Katrina is a catastrophic name

[cinlfla]

SOON to be Rita would have been Katrina

Well IMO Rita sounds as nasty as Katrina, but its a good idea to continue with the names not used from the preveious year sort of like a roll over.

[krysof]

have you noticed this year the bad storms end with "A"? Ophelia, Katrina, soon to be Rita, and even Maria as extratropical storm did damage far away

[cjrciadt]

have you noticed this year the bad storms end with "A"? Ophelia, Katrina, soon to be Rita, and even Maria as extratropical storm did damage far away

And they are all females (runs and hides).

[linkerweather]

have you noticed this year the bad storms end with "A"? Ophelia, Katrina, soon to be Rita, and even Maria as extratropical storm did damage far away

Dennis, Emily

[senorpepr]

The names will be simply alpha, beta, gamma, etc.

BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM ALPHA ADVISORY NUMBER 5
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL

These names will not be retired, regardless of damage/casualities. The frequency of seeing Alpha again (in 154 years we've never seen 22 named storms... so it's pretty rare) is low enough not to warrent retirement anyway. In addition, "retirement" only bars that name from being used for ten years, per WMO guidelines. Therefore, names like Andrew and Hugo, although will never be used, can technically be used again. Finally, numbered tropical depressions aren't retired. Greek-lettered tropical storms will follow suit. For example, we still use TD 11 even after it killed 400 people in 1999.

[Derek Ortt]

the rules for retirement were changed from 10 years to more permanent retirement once the list expanded to include Boys names.

Retired storms were used again prior to this, such as Carol in 1965

[senorpepr]

the rules for retirement were changed from 10 years to more permanent retirement once the list expanded to include Boys names.

Retired storms were used again prior to this, such as Carol in 1965

That's interesting... I have a WMO handbook here dated January 2002 that maintains the 10-year rule. Maybe that part wasn't updated...

EDIT: Maybe the 10-year rule is a WMO-directive whereas the NHC (acting as the RSMC) maintains a permanency with retirement....

[wxmann_91]

the rules for retirement were changed from 10 years to more permanent retirement once the list expanded to include Boys names.

Retired storms were used again prior to this, such as Carol in 1965

That's interesting... I have a WMO handbook here dated January 2002 that maintains the 10-year rule. Maybe that part wasn't updated...

EDIT: Maybe the 10-year rule is a WMO-directive whereas the NHC (acting as the RSMC) maintains a permanency with retirement....

Legendary storms like Katrina, Andrew, Hugo, Gilbert, Camille, and the likes, should not come back ever again. These storms and names will be remembered for generations to come. Heck, even if I hear the name Katrina (even if it's my friend's name) again I'll have chills.

[cinlfla]

And they are all females (runs and hides).

Ha, very funny There have been some pretty bad males as well. Hugo, Floyd to mname a couple.

[HurricaneGirl]

Holy Crap. They are going to run out of names this year.