Will you share a name with a SC hurricane this year? Check here and see
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season begins in under two weeks, but yet forecasters already know the names for any potential storms.
The National Hurricane Center has its latest list of potential hurricane names. But before we dive into all the names, let’s look at predictions for the upcoming hurricane season.
Hurricane season begins June 1 and will last through Nov. 30.
Hurricane season 2025
Colorado State University researchers released their annual early forecast in April, predicting an above-average Atlantic hurricane season in 2025 — estimating there will be 17 named storms and nine hurricanes this year.
Last year, the Atlantic hurricane season got a slow start but got very busy and destructive in the fall. There were 18 named storms in 2024, 11 hurricanes, and five major hurricanes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
An average season produces 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes, the administration states.
Hurricane Helene, which first made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm, caused widespread damage and 49 deaths in South Carolina, mainly in the areas of Spartanburg, Greenville, and Aiken.
Of the 17 named storms predicted this year, the researchers forecast nine to become hurricanes and four to reach major hurricane strength of Category 3 or higher, with sustained winds of 111 mph or greater. The team also predicts that hurricane activity this year will be about 125% of the average season, 1991-2020. In comparison, hurricane activity in 2024 was about 130% of the average season.
Storm names for 2025
If any of the 17 possible storms predicted for the season come to pass, their names have already been set. Below is the full list of possible storm names for the 2025 season:
- Andrea
- Barry
- Chantal
- Dexter
- Erin
- Fernand
- Gabrielle
- Humberto
- Imelda
- Jerry
- Karen
- Lorenzo
- Melissa
- Nestor
- Olga
- Pablo
- Rebekah
- Sebastien
- Tanya
- Van
- Wendy
How hurricane naming works
Hurricane names are used in rotation and recycled every six years. Many of the names in 2025 will be used again in 2031. However, sometimes named storms gain enough notoriety for the damage and death they cause that their names are permanently removed from the list.
Tropical storms get named when they display a rotating circulation pattern and wind speeds reach 39 mph. A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when wind speeds exceed 74 mph. The World Meteorological Organization maintains and updates the names of Atlantic tropical storms. Hurricane names picked use only 21 letters of the alphabet because there are few names that start with Q, U, X, Z and Y. Also, English, Spanish and French names are all used to reflect geographical coverage of Atlantic and Caribbean storms. According to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, South Carolina is one of the most vulnerable states to hurricanes and tropical storms all throughout the season.
This story was originally published May 21, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Will you share a name with a SC hurricane this year? Check here and see."
