Why so many dangerous hurricanes like Idalia have names that start with 'I'
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday.
- It joins a list of many serious hurricanes whose names begin with "I" — the most frequent letter of retired storms.
- Serious storms have "I" names because of when hurricane season peaks and where the letter sits in the alphabet.
Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Its name — Idalia — might seem familiar, or at least its first letter.
As Insider previously reported, the World Meteorological Organization keeps a list of names it uses to label hurricanes each year. There are different lists of names used in each oceanic region of the world, and each of the regions has six rotating lists.
But the WMO also retires names of storms that are "particularly deadly or costly." And the organization has retired more "I" names than any other letter, according to a list of retired names from the National Hurricane Center.
Is it a coincidence? Not quite.
Because hurricanes are named in alphabetical order each hurricane season, meaning the first hurricane of the year will boast an "A" name, and, if there are enough storms, the last will be named with a "Z" name.
Hurricane season typically runs from June through November; the season's peak hits around September 10.
So by late August to early September, there have usually been enough storms to get down to the "I" names, the ninth letter in the alphabet.
In the last 10 years, five "I" names slated for Atlantic Ocean hurricanes have been retired, according to the National Hurricane Center: Ingrid in 2013, Irma in 2017, Iota in 2020, Ida in 2021, and Ian in 2022.
It's still unclear whether Idalia will join their ranks when the storm clears. Already, forecasters have reported serious storm surge and winds of nearly 125 mph as the hurricane plowed into Florida's coast.