Here are the storm names SC might see for hurricane season 2022. Is your name on the list?
The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season only officially began on Wednesday, but forecasters already have all the names set for any potential storms.
The National Hurricane Center recently released its official list of hurricane names for the 2022 Atlantic season, which runs through Nov. 30.
According to the National Weather Service, the outlook for the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season predicts a 65% chance of an above-normal season, a 25% chance of a near-normal season and a 10% chance of a below-normal season. The forecast is for between 14 to 21 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which six to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including three to six major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher).
The names this year include Alex, Bonnie, Colin, Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Gaston, Hermine, Ian, Julia, Karl, Lisa, Martin, Nicole, Owen, Paula, Richard, Shary, Tobias, Virginie and Walter.
Hurricane names are used in rotation and recycled every six years. Many of the names in 2022 will be used again in 2028.
However, sometimes named storms gain enough notoriety for the damage and death they cause that their names are permanently removed from the list.
Tropical storms get a name when they display a rotating circulation pattern and wind speeds reach 39 mph. A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when wind speeds exceed 74 mph.
The World Meteorological Organization maintains and updates the names of Atlantic tropical storms. Hurricane names picked use only 21 letters of the alphabet because there are few names that start with Q, U, X, Z and Y. Also, English, Spanish and French names are all used to reflect geographical coverage of Atlantic and Caribbean storms.
According to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, South Carolina is one of the most vulnerable states to hurricanes and tropical storms all throughout the season.
For ways on how the SCEMD recommends you prepare for the new hurricane season, click here.
This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
