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:
Andrea
Barry
Chantal
Dexter
Erin
Fernand
Gabrielle
Humberto
Imelda
Jerry
Karen
Lorenzo
Melissa
Nestor
Olga
Pablo
Rebekah
Sebastien
Tanya
Van
Wendy
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.
At first, only female names were used.
In 1979, male names were added to the mix for storms in the Atlantic basin.
What's next: Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 through Nov. 30, but storms can form any time.
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