May 30, 2025 - Climate

These names could be remembered for all the wrong reasons

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season starts Sunday, and there's a new list of storm names.

Why it matters: A single name on this list could define the season if it's tied to a major disaster.

The big picture: The World Meteorological Organization picks the names, which are based on "their familiarity to people" in the region.

The lists are reused every six years, with this batch last used in 2019.
Dexter is a new addition this year, replacing Dorian, which was retired after the 2019 storm that devastated the Bahamas.
Systems are named when they strengthen to at least a tropical storm.

The names are:

Between the lines: If all the names are used, WMO uses a supplemental list.

It previously used the Greek alphabet, but they ended that practice after confusion during the 2020 season.
Names are retired if they are associated with a particularly deadly or costly storm. For instance, the names Beryl, Milton and Helene were retired after the 2024 hurricane season.

Flashback: Storms weren't named until 1953. Before then, they were tracked by the year and order they occurred that year, according to NOAA.

What's next: Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 through Nov. 30, but storms can form any time.

NHC began its daily tropical outlook May 15, and so far all has been quiet in the Gulf, Caribbean and Atlantic.
Historically, the most active period for strong storms in the Gulf and the Atlantic is August and September.

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