Andy_Johnson's Blog

Hurricane names are decided by the World Meteorological Organization. There is a set of 6 names in the Atlantic basin, which includes the North Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. If a storm is very deadly or costly, the name is retired. This is done for sensitivity reasons, as well as, for historical reference reasons.

The Regional Association IV Hurricane Committee decided this week to retire three names from the 2007 hurricane season - Dean, Felix and Noel. These storms caused extensive damage and many deaths. The new names will be Dorian, Fernand and Nestor in 2013. The other names from 2007 will remain the same in 2013.