Ever wonder how hurricanes get their names? The answer goes back decades

Hurricane season began June 1 and ends Nov. 30, and so far this year there have been 13 named storms, beginning with Tropical Storm Andrea in June and, most recently, Hurricane Melissa, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). While the number of hurricanes per season can be unpredictable, their names are anything but. Years before a hurricane forms, their names are selected by the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO). A storm is officially considered a hurricane once its maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph, according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , while a tropical storm is officially formed when surface winds are at least 39 mph. A storm is named once it strengthens from a tropical depression into a tropical storm. The WMO