Darn, passed over again

[dreamshark]

This year the hurricane names got all the way to S, an increasingly less rare occurrence but still not the norm.  But once again I did not get a hurricane named for me. 

Comments

[redbird]

As of yesterday, the storm with my name on it was weakening and no threat to land. That's V for Vicky (different spelling, but so what?)

[dreamshark]

How could they be at S and V simultaneously? Pacific storm?

[redbird]

It's not unusual to have two named storms in the Atlantic, because the storms don't patiently wait their turn. The five they had a few days ago was very unusual. Right now the Atlantic has storms Paulette, Sally, Teddy, and Vicky (Rene having dissipated).

Tropical storms stir up cold water, which makes it harder for a second storm to exist in the same area for a while, but not impossible, and a storm in the Gulf of Mexico and one near Bermuda aren't going to interfere with each other.

[laramie]

I have no expectation that a storm will ever share my name.

[pameladean]

I thought of you as they approached S. Do they pick each name beginning with a particular letter in alphabetical order? I've never thought to notice.

P.

[redbird]

Alphabetical order, and they choose the names in advance, repeating every six years but retiring the names of particularly destructive storms. For example, they won't use "Sandy" or "Katrina" again.

The Atlantic names go from A through W, skipping Q and U. They don't usually get to V at all, let alone by September.

[jbru]

And do I recall correctly that they alternate between female-presenting and male-presenting names now?

[pameladean]

Thank you; I've been meaning for years to check that but I just never did.

My friends named Katrina are not notably comforted that the name won't be used again, I have to say. One time was too many. But of course the practice isn't intended for their comfort in the first place.

I'd forgotten that they skipped U, though I remembered about Q.

P.

[redbird]

Once was definitely too many; I think the child I knew with that name was mostly being called "Kat" before the hurricane, but has gone back to the full name now that she's an adult.

I gather that they do it this way because names like "Katrina" or "Quentin" are more likely to be noticed and distinguished while the storm is happening than Able, Baker, Charlie when it matters that people hearing the forecast know whether the weather report is talking about last week's storm or about one they need to be boarding up windows for now.

Back in June, I noticed idly that there might be a hurricane with my name on it, but they don't get to V very often.

[davidwilford]

My name was retired after 1979, and I remember this one as my parents had just moved to Florida that year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_David