Hurricanes form in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and also in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, off the west coast of Central America. While the Atlantic hurricanes usually affect the Carribean islands, the Gulf Coast and Atlantic coast of the U.S. and the east coast of Central America, the Pacific hurricanes affect the west coast of Central America, and sometimes California and Hawaii. Typhoons are the storms that form in the tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean. They usually affect Southeast Asia, Japan, China and the Phillipines.

This has been perhaps the most active hurricane season in the Atlantic this century. Hurricanes were first given names in the 1930s because it was too confusing to keep track of several hurricanes when they were plotted using latitude and longitude. Initially, all of the storms were given the names of women, but since the 1970s, womens' and mens' (himmacanes?) names have been used. Because they form in different areas, Atlantic hurricanes, Pacific hurricanes and typhoons all have different name lists. In 1988 hurricane Joan moved from the Atlantic Ocean through the Carribean Sea and across Central America into the Pacific Ocean. Since in the east Pacific there had already been hurricanes having a J,K, and L letter, hurricane Joan became hurricane Miriam! This only happens about once every 15 years or so, but it is possible for a hurricane named Albert to become hurricane Benita.

This year in the Atlantic we are already up to the letter T (Tanya). In the west Pacific, there is typhoon Zack and also typhoon Angela. It is not that uncommon for typhoons to run through the alphabet. However, in the Atlantic, this has never happened, but it may happen this year. The letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z are not used in naming the Atlantic hurricanes. After the letter W, if another hurricane forms it is identified with a Greek letter (alpha,beta...).

How can Allen become Benita or Helen become Juan? Yes, this is a weather related question.

11/3/95