WHAT'S IN A NAME - Naming Storms

HISTORY OF NAMING STORMS

Call it a Tornado, Twister, Cyclone, Hurricane, Willy-Willy, or what you will, they have a destructive force that has terrorised man since as long as we can remember. 

The practice of naming storms (tropical cyclones) began years ago in order to help in the quick identification of storms in warning messages because names are presumed to be far easier to remember than numbers and technical terms.

In the beginning, storms were named arbitrarily. An Atlantic storm that ripped off the mast of a boat named Antje became known as Antje's hurricane.

For several hundred years many hurricanes in the West Indies were named after the particular saint's day on which the hurricane occurred.

In the pursuit of a more organized and efficient naming system, meteorologists later decided to identify storms using names from a list arranged alpabetically. Thus, a storm with a name which begins with A, like Anne, would be the first storm to occur in the year. 

NAMING STORMS - THE MODERN SYSTEM

Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists originated by the National Hurricane Center. They are now maintained and updated by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization.

The original name lists featured only women's names.

In 1979, men's names were introduced and they alternate with the women's names.

Six lists are used in rotation. Thus, the 2008 list is being used again in 2014.

The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. 

If that occurs, then at an annual meeting by the WMO Tropical Cyclone Committees (called primarily to discuss many other issues) the offending name is stricken from the list and another name is selected to replace it. 


There is a strict procedure to determine a list of tropical cyclone names in an ocean basin(s) by the Tropical Cyclone Regional Body responsible for that basin(s) at its annual/biennial meeting. There are five tropical cyclone regional bodies, i.e. ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee, WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones, RA I Tropical Cyclone Committee, RA IV Hurricane Committee, and RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee.

SOME STORM NAMES RETIRED IN THE RECENT YEARS

1990 Diana Klaus	1991 Bob	1992 Andrew	1993	1994	1995 Luis Marilyn Opal Roxanne	1996 Cesar Fran Hortense	1997	1998 Georges Mitch	1999 Floyd Lenny
2000 Keith	2001 Allison Iris Michelle	2002 Isidore Lili	2003 Fabian Isabel Juan	2004 Charley Frances Ivan Jeanne	2005 Dennis Katrina Rita Stan Wilma	2006	2007 Dean Felix Noel	2008 Gustav Ike Paloma	2009
2010 Igor Tomas	2011 Irene	2012 Sandy	2013 Ingrid

Twister In Kansas from CSU-Pueblo TODAY, CC BY 3.0

NAMES OF UPCOMING STORMS IN YOUR REGION

Be the first to know what the next storm in your region will be named - Have a look at these region wise lists.

While it might be interesting to know how the storms are named, it is important to be safe in a storm and know what to do if you are caught in one!

Have a look at the post  How To Survive Disaster - Tornadoes

Be Alert. Keep Safe.

HOW TO SURVIVE A DISASTER -TORNADOES

When disaster strikes who lives and who dies is not purely a matter of luck.
In every disaster, from those people face once in a lifetime, to those they face every day, there are things that can be done to increase the chances of getting out alive. 
In this series on disaster survival, we look at the ways we can survive various common disasters.

TORNADO-A SURVIVAL GUIDE

A tornado is a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. Because wind is invisible, it is hard to see a tornado unless it forms a condensation funnel made up of water droplets, dust and debris. 

Of all the destructive powers in our world, none resembles the ferocity and form of tornadoes. 

If you've ever watched a whirlpool form in your bathtub or sink while draining the water, then you've witnessed the fundamentals of a tornado at work.In a tornado, the same sort of thing happens except with air instead of water.

Tornadoes develop out of thunderstorms, where there's already a steady, upward flow of warm, low-pressure moist air that cools to form clouds.If the conditions are right, the updraft becomes strong enough to create a vortex like in a sink and eventually becomes a tornado.Some tornadoes consist of a single vortex, but other times multiple suction vortices revolve around a tornado's center. 

TORNADO FACTS 

Tornado winds may exceed 300 miles (480 kilometers) per hour.

Tornadoes can lift cars, mobile homes, and animals into the air.

Tornadoes are sometimes called "twisters."

The damage path of a tornado is usually less than 1,600 feet wide.

Most tornadoes move at less than 35 miles per hour.

Most tornadoes last only a few minutes.

A tornado over a body of water is called a "waterspout."

The United States has the highest number of tornado occurrences in the world with an average of 1,000 tornadoes reported each year.

HOW TO IDENTIFY A TORNADO

To identify a tornado, look for the following danger signs:

• Dark, often greenish sky
• Large hail
• A large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating)
• Loud roar, similar to a freight train.

TIPS TO SURVIVE A TORNADO

Never try to outrun a tornado. You can however try to get out of its path by driving 90 degrees to the right or 90 degrees to the left, he said. The goal is to have the tornado in your rearview mirror.

Vehicles are extremely risky in a tornado. Get out of your vehicle and lie down flat in a ditch away from the vehicle. (Hiding below an underpass isn't safe).

If you are caught by extreme winds or flying debris, park the car quickly. Stay in the car with the seat belt on. Put your head down below the windows; cover your head with your hands and a blanket, coat, or other cushion if possible.

In a building reach for a basement or the lowest floor available.Look for an inside hallway, or a small closet or bathroom (with no windows).The more walls between you and the outside, the better.

Even if you find a basement, don't stay in the open. Look for an inner, small, windowless room and get under some kind of sturdy protection (heavy table or work bench or a stairwell), or cover yourself with a mattress or sleeping bag to protect yourself from flying debris. 

If you live in a tornado prone area, consider making a strong tornado shelter in your house.

AFTER A TORNADO...

• Wait for authorities to give the all-clear.
• Check for structural damage before going inside.
• If dark, use a flashlight – not matches, a candle or a lighter. An open flame can ignite leaking gas.
• Listen for reports to see when drinking water is safe.
• Don’t turn your power on until an electrician has inspected your system.

Next week, a look at survival tips on another disaster! Till then keep safe....