WASHINGTON — The 2022 hurricane season has started. Here's a look at the names of the storms this year.
There the list of names is reused every six years. For example, this year's list will be used again in 2028. Occasionally, hurricane names will be retired, but only if a storm is especially deadly or costly. Some of the retired names include Katrina, Harvey, Betsy, Dorian, Laura, Ida, Agnes (1972) and Sandy (2012). As of May 2022, nearly 94 names have been retired from the hurricane list.
Sometimes hurricane seasons are so busy that the list runs out of names. If this happens, then a supplemental list of names will be used.
Hurricanes have been named since the 1950s. The World Meteorological Organization maintains and updates the names through a strict procedure.
2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season Names
- Alex
- Bonnie
- Colin
- Danielle
- Earl
- Fiona
- Gaston
- Hermine
- Ian
- Julia
- Karl
- Lisa
- Martin
- Nicole
- Owen
- Paula
- Richard
- Shary
- Tobias
- Virgina
- Walter
Busy Season Ahead
Hurricane season starts Wednesday, June 1 and lasts through Nov. 30.
Forecasters with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are expecting a busy hurricane season with above-normal activity. This will mark seven consecutive years of above-average hurricane activity. Roughly 14 to 22 named storms are expected; the average is 14.
At least six to 10 of those storms may become hurricanes; the average is seven. As far as major hurricanes, which are category 3 and above, hurricane experts are calling for three to six major hurricanes; the average is three.
“As we reflect on another potentially busy hurricane season, past storms — such as Superstorm Sandy, which devastated the New York metro area 10 years ago — it reminds us that the impact of one storm can be felt for years,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad. “Since Sandy, NOAA’s forecasting accuracy has continued to improve, allowing us to better predict the impacts of major hurricanes to lives and livelihoods.”
September is typically the busiest month for hurricane activity.