Here are all the storm names SC might see in hurricane season 2023. Is your name listed?
The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season only officially started on Thursday, but forecasters already know all the names for any potential storms.
The National Hurricane Center recently released its official list of hurricane names for the 2023 Atlantic season, which lasts through Nov. 30.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a relatively normal hurricane season — between 12 and 17 storms for the year. The forecast calls for a 40% chance of a near-normal season, a 30% chance of an above-normal season and a 30% chance of a below-normal season.
NOAA is forecasting with 70% confidence of 12 to 17 total named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher. And of those, five to nine of them could become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher. There could also be one to four major hurricanes between Category 3 and 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher.
Storm names for 2023
The first named storm of the season is Tropical Storm Arlene, which formed Friday afternoon in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is expected to remain offshore and only have a minimal impact in Florida or any other area as it travels south in the Gulf, the center states.
Below is the full list of other possible storm names for the 2023 season.
- Bret
- Cindy
- Don
- Emily
- Franklin
- Gert
- Harold
- Idalia
- Jose
- Katia
- Lee
- Margot
- Nigel
- Ophelia
- Philippe
- Rina
- Sean
- Tammy
- Vince
- Whitney
How hurricane naming works
Hurricane names are used in rotation and recycled every six years. Many of the names in 2023 will be used again in 2029. 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 named 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.
This story was originally published June 3, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
