Here are the names Florida will worry about this hurricane season
The Sunshine State may have been spared (so far) from the nation’s catastrophic winter, but the weather always gives Floridians a reason to worry. Like, say, the 2021 hurricane season.
The official June 1 start to the Atlantic storm season is less than 100 days away. But the past six storm season have all gotten off to an early start, with storms forming before June. So it’s a good time for those who live in the path of Atlantic storms to review the 21 names they’ll soon be tracking.
That is especially true for the first named storm of this year, Ana, which has a history of showing up early.
In 2003, Ana became the first named storm to form in the Atlantic more than a month early. Tropical Storm Ana formed April 21 and peaked with wind speeds of up to 60 mph. It missed Bermuda but the wind and waves it generated are blamed for capsizing a boat in Jupiter Inlet, causing two deaths.
Another Ana formed in 2015 and became the earliest tropical cyclone to make landfall in the U.S. That year’s Tropical Storm Ana formed May 9 and the next day reached the shores of South Carolina. It was blamed for two deaths in North Carolina.
Last year, two named storms formed before June 1.
But it’s not just the 21 names Floridians need to worry about. The 2020 hurricane season ended as the most active on record, generating 30 named storms, 13 hurricanes and six major hurricanes — storms that exceed Category 3 strength with wind speeds of 111 mph or greater.
That means all 21 hurricane names were depleted by September and meteorologists started using Greek names to label storms.
That could happen again in 2021. While the seasonal forecasts are weeks away, Philip Klotzbach, Colorado State University research scientist and hurricane forecaster, reports that just three of 20 forecast models show El Niño forming in the fall.
The Pacific weather phenomenon can create wind shear that can disrupt and weaken Atlantic storms. Its absence increases the chances that more storms will form in the Atlantic, and strengthen.
2021 Atlantic Storm Names
Bill","type":"text
Claudette","type":"text
Danny","type":"text
Elsa","type":"text
Fred","type":"text
Grace","type":"text
HenriIda","type":"text
Julian","type":"text
Kate","type":"text
Larry","type":"text
Mindy","type":"text
Nicholas","type":"text
Odette","type":"text
Peter","type":"text
Rose","type":"text
Sam","type":"text
Teresa","type":"text
Victor","type":"text
Wanda","type":"text
Greek Atlantic Storm Names
Greek Atlantic Storm Names
Beta","type":"text
Gamma","type":"text
Delta","type":"text
Epsilon","type":"text
Zeta","type":"text
Eta","type":"text
Theta","type":"text
Iota","type":"text
Kappa","type":"text
Lambda","type":"text
Mu","type":"text
Nu","type":"text
Xi","type":"text
Omicron","type":"text
Pi","type":"text
Rho","type":"text
Sigma","type":"text
Tau","type":"text
Upsilon","type":"text
Phi","type":"text
Chi","type":"text
Psi","type":"text
Omega","type":"text
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Tampa Bay Times Hurricane Guide
HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE: Get ready and stay informed at tampabay.com/hurricane
PREPARE FOR COVID-19 AND THE STORM: The CDC's tips for this pandemic-hurricane season
PREPARE YOUR STUFF: Get your documents and your data ready for a storm
BUILD YOUR KIT: The stuff you’ll need to stay safe — and comfortable — for the storm
PROTECT YOUR PETS: Your pets can’t get ready for a storm. That’s your job
NEED TO KNOW: Click here to find your evacuation zone and shelter
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