HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – As Hawaii residents keep a watchful eye on Tropical Storm Moke just days after Hurricane Lala brought torrential flooding to the islands, many are asking: Who decides what these storms are called, and where do the names come from?<\/p>\n
Unlike the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific basins, which recycle a set of six alphabetical lists every six years, the Central Pacific basin\u2014the region surrounding the Hawaiian islands\u2014operates on a distinct, culturally rooted system.<\/p>\n
Here is how the naming process works for storms that form near Hawaii, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).<\/p>\n
The Hawaiian Alphabet and the Central Pacific Lists<\/p>\n
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC), based in Honolulu, is responsible for naming tropical cyclones that form in the central North Pacific (between 140 degrees west and the International Date Line).<\/p>\n
To honor the host culture, the CPHC uses a pre-designated system of traditional Hawaiian names. There are four distinct lists of 12 names each, which were originally developed in partnership with Hawaiian language and cultural experts.<\/p>\n
Unlike other basins, the Central Pacific lists do not reset at the end of each calendar year. Instead, they are used sequentially.<\/p>\n
When a tropical storm forms in the Central Pacific, it takes the very next name on the active list. When the bottom of List 1 is reached, meteorologists immediately move to the top of List 2. For instance, the transition from Lala (the 6th name on List 1) to Moke (the 7th name on List 1) happened consecutively this August.<\/p>\n
List 1List 2List 3List 4Akoni
Ema
Hone
Iona
Keli
Lala
Moke
Nolo
Olana
Pena
Ulana
WaleAka
Ekeka
Hene
Iolana
Keoni
Lino
Mele
Nona
Oliwa
Pama
Upana
WeneAlika
Ele
Huko
Iopa
Kika
Lana
Maka
Neki
Omeka
Pewa
Unala
WaliAna
Ela
Halola
Iune
Kilo
Loke
Malia
Niala
Oho
Pali
Ulika
Walaka<\/p>\n
Once \u201cWale\u201d is used, the system will restart at the top of List 2 with Aka.<\/p>\n
What Happens to Retired Names?<\/p>\n
Under strict WMO guidelines, if a storm is particularly deadly or costly, using its name again in the future would be insensitive to survivors.<\/p>\n
When a storm is retired, the CPHC strikes the name from the rotating lists at the annual meeting of the WMO Hurricane Committee and selects a new Hawaiian name to replace it.<\/p>\n
Crossing the Line: When a Storm Changes Names<\/p>\n
Occasionally, a storm will cross from one ocean boundary to another. If a tropical storm forms in the Eastern Pacific (east of 140 degrees west) and carries a name from that region\u2019s alphabetical list (such as \u201cIselle\u201d), it keeps its name when it enters the Central Pacific.<\/p>\n
However, if a depression only develops into a named tropical storm after crossing the boundary into Hawaii\u2019s jurisdiction, it is christened with the next available name on the Hawaiian list.<\/p>\n
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