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Hurricanes 1. Did you know that before 1950, hurricanes had no names? They were simply given numbers. The first names were simply Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc. But in 1953, female names were given because of the unpredictability factor of the storms. In 1979, realizing the sexist nature of such names, the lists were expanded to include both men and women. 3. Hurricanes get their power from water vapor as it gives out its stored-up energy. All water vapor gives out heat as it condenses from a gaseous state to a liquid state over fixed points on the equator . To make a hurricane, you must have extremely wet, warm air, the kind of air that can only be found in tropical regions. 5. Predicting the path of a hurricane is one of the most difficult tasks for forecasters. It moves at a typical speed of 15 mph. But not always. Some storms may race along at twice this speed, then suddenly stop and remain in the same location in the ocean for several days. It can be maddening if you live in a coastal area that may be hit. 23 Paragraph 1 . 25 Paragraph 4 . | 
