GALVESTON, Texas — As hurricane season nears, preparations (and recovery from last year's damage) are underway. 

Not that hurricanes are ever fun, but the naming process is interesting. In 2017, 17 storms formed in warm waters, receiving names.

The 2018 hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. 

How are the names determined?

Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms had been named from lists originated by the National Hurricane Center. They are now maintained and updated through a strict procedure by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization.

The six lists are used in rotation and re-cycled every six years, i.e., the 2017 list will be used again in 2023. The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity.

Retired names

  • Matthew, 2016, Lesser Antilles, Leeward Antilles, Venezuela, Colombia, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, Eastern United States, Atlantic Canada
  • Otto, 2016, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua
  • Erika, 2015, Antilles (particularly Dominica), The Bahamas, Florida
  • Joaquin, 2015, Lucayan Archipelago, Cuba, Haiti, Southeastern United States, Bermuda, Azores, Iberian Peninsula, Morocco
  • Ingrid, 2013, Mexico, Texas 
  • Sandy, 2012, Jamaica, Cuba, Bahamas, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S.
  • Irene, 2011, Bahamas, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S.
  • Tomas, 2010, Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Haiti, Turks and Caicos
  • Igor, 2010, Newfoundland, Bermuda
  • Paloma, 2008, Cayman Islands, Cuba
  • Ike, 2008, Turks and Caicos, Cuba, Texas
  • Gustav, 2008, Haiti, Jamaica, Caman Islands, Cuba, Louisiana
  • Noel, 2007, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Bahamas
  • Felix, 2007, Nicaragua, Honduras
  • Dean, 2007, Mexico, Jamaica
  • Wilma, 2005, Cuba, Florida
  • Stan, 2005, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador
  • Rita, 2005, Louisiana, Texas, Florida
  • Katrina, 2005, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida
  • Dennis, 2005, Cuba, Florida
  • Jeanne, 2004, Florida, Haiti
  • Ivan, 2004, Grenada, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Alabama, Florida
  • Frances, 2004, Florida
  • Charley, 2004, Cuba, Florida
  • Juan, 2003, Nova Scotia
  • Isabel, 2003, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland
  • Fabian, 2003, Bermuda
  • Lili, 2002, Cuba, Louisiana
  • Isidore, 2002, Cuba, Mexico, Louisiana
  • Michelle, 2001, Cuba, Bahamas
  • Iris, 2001, Belize
  • Allison, 2001, Texas
  • Keith, 2000, Belize, Mexico
  • Lenny, 1999, Virgin Islands, St. Maartin/St. Martin, Anguilla
  • Floyd, 1999, North Carolina
  • Mitch, 1998, Central America, Nicaragua, Honduras
  • Georges, 1998, Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Cuba, Mississippi
  • Hortense, 1996, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic
  • Fran, 1996, North Carolina
  • Cesar, 1996, Nicaragua
  • Roxanne, 1995, Mexico
  • Opal, 1995, Florida
  • Marilyn, 1995, Virgin Islands, Leeward Islands
  • Luis, 1995, Leeward Islands
  • Andrew, 1992, Bahamas, South Florida, Louisiana
  • Bob, 1991, North Carolina, Northeast U.S.
  • Klaus, 1990, Martinique
  • Diana, 1990, Mexico
  • Hugo, 1989, Antilles, South Carolina
  • Joan, 1988, Curacao, Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua (Crossed into the Pacific)
  • Gilbert, 1988, Lesser Antilles, Jamaica, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
  • Gloria, 1985, North Carolina, Northeast U.S.
  • Elena, 1985, Mississippi, Alabama, Western Florida
  • Alicia, 1983, Texas
  • Allen, 1980, Antilles, Mexico, South Texas
  • Frederic, 1979, Alabama and Mississippi
  • David, 1979, Lesser Antilles, Hispaniola, Florida and Eastern U.S.
  • Anita, 1977, Mexico
  • Eloise, 1975, Antilles, Northwest Florida, Alabama
  • Fifi, 1974, Honduras, Guatemala
  • Carmen, 1974, Mexico, Louisiana
  • Agnes, 1972, Florida, Northeast U.S.
  • Celia, 1970, South Texas
  • Camille, 1969, Mississippi
  • Beulah, 1967, Antilles, Mexico, South Texas
  • Inez, 1966, Lesser Antilles, Hispaniola, Cuba, Florida Keys, Mexico
  • Betsy, 1965, Bahamas, Southeast Florida, Southeast Louisiana
  • Dora, 1964, Northeast Florida
  • Cleo, 1964, Lesser Antilles, Haiti, Cuba, Southeast Florida
  • Hilda, 1964, Louisiana
  • Flora, 1963, Haiti, Cuba
  • Hattie, 1961, Belize, Guatemala
  • Carla, 1961, Texas
  • Donna, 1960, Bahamas, Florida and Eastern U.S.
  • Audrey, 1957, Louisiana, Northeast Texas
  • Janet, 1955, Lesser Antilles, Belize, Mexico
  • Ione, 1955, North Carolina
  • Diane, 1955, Mid-Atlantic U.S., Northeast U.S.
  • Connie, 1955, North Carolina
  • Hazel, 1954, Antilles, North and South Carolina
  • Edna, 1954, Massachusetts
  • Carol, 1954, Northeast U.S.

2017 cyclone season

Last year's storm season was the fifth most active in recent history, tying 1936 with a total of 10 hurricanes — six of those considered major with a category 3 or higher rating

The most damaging storms were Hurricane Harvey and Irma in August, and Maria in Puerto Rico in September — Recovery efforts are still underway.

Without further ado, the 2018 list below:

2018 hurricane names.