2016 Hurricane Names: Is Yours On the List?

TAMPA BAY, FL — The 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season is here and that means there’s a whole new slate of names for storms that may develop.

Since 1953, tropical cyclones that develop in the Atlantic have been named by the National Hurricane Center. The name lists are maintained and developed by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization, according to the hurricane center.

The lists, generally published a few years in advance, include names in alphabetical order for each year covering the letters A through W.

The first two named storms of 2016 arrived before hurricane season officially kicked off on June 1. Hurricane Alex developed back in January, a rare winter occurrence. Bonnie formed over the Memorial Day weekend. Now a tropical depression, she was still hanging out over the North Carolina coast as of Thursday afternoon.

Should other tropical cyclones develop in 2016 as forecasters predict will happen, their names will be as follows:

• Colin
• Danielle
• Earl
• Fiona
• Gaston
• Hermine
• Ian
• Julia
• Karl
• Lisa
• Matthew
• Nicole
• Otto
• Paul
• Richard
• Shary
• Tobias
• Virgine
• Walter

To find out more about storm names, visit the National Hurricane Center online.

To find out more about hurricane season and storm preparation, read these related Patch stories:

• Hurricane Season 2016: Where To Find Local Information
• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Released
• Hurricane Season: How to Prepare
• Tampa Bay 'Ripe for Disaster,' Hurricane Experts Say

To keep up with storm activity as the season develops, bookmark the National Hurricane Center’s website or keep an eye on your local Patch site.

Photo from the National Weather Service's Facebook page