How are hurricanes
named?
Hurricanes names are chosen
from a list selected by the World Meteorological Organization. The Atlantic
is assigned six lists of names, with one list used each year. Every sixth
year, the first list begins again. Each name
on the list starts with a different letter, for example, the name of the
very first hurricane of the season starts with the letter A, the next
starts with the letter B, and so on. The letters "Q", "U",
"X", "Y" and "Z", however, are not used.
Often when an unusually destructive hurricane hits, that hurricane's name
is retired and never used again. Since 1954, forty names have been retired.
In 1996 Hurricane Luis was retired. Is your name among the currently used
or retired hurricane names?
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