Winter Storm Janus: Storm naming with your family
The Weather Channel sent out an alert yesterday that the latest winter storm will be named 鈥楯anus,鈥� leaving some kids wondering about the difference in naming systems for various storm types and the messages those names are trying to convey.
Hurricanes are named after people, while The Weather Channel has seemed to have taken a more scenic route in devising names.聽
Either way my son, Quin, 10, surprised me by being totally aggravated with the choice, not because it wasn鈥檛 his name, but because he wished storms were named to more accurately reflect their regional intensity level.
鈥淛anus? What is happening here?鈥� he fumed. We live in Norfolk, Va., where snow in anything more than a fleeting dusting hasn鈥檛 been seen in years. 鈥淗ow can you tell what kind of storm it鈥檚 going to be by that name?鈥�
Kids here in the South have seen storm after storm in this polar vortex that utterly failed to provide more than a drenching rain here.
After being part of the 2013 鈥溾�� challenge with his FIRST LEGO League聽team, Quin has come to the conclusion that the names of the storms should play a more accurate role in order to more effectively warn people.
What might be a titan in New Jersey is more of a Smurf in southern Virginia.
鈥淭hey need to stop naming them after people and get serious,鈥� Quin said. 鈥淐all it Frost Eclipse or Whiplash.鈥�
Sadly, The Weather Channel thought it was doing just that by naming winter storms differently with the help of聽a in Bozeman, Mont.聽
To those with a working knowledge of Greek mythology, the names are pretty awesome, including: Atlas, Elektra, Maximus and Zeus amid names such as Leon,聽Pax聽(Latin word for peace),聽Seneca, and Kronos.
This became a teachable moment at our house. I pulled out a gorgeously illustrated book on Greek mythology he was given for Christmas by his older brother to help him relate to the names. For starters, I explained that the name Kronos refers to聽the father of Zeus in Greek mythology or Saturn in Roman.
Quin looked at me as if I had completely missed the point saying 鈥淥K, that鈥檚 cool, but storm names should be something people see and know right away if they should panic.鈥�
Quin continued to work out his kid-friendly storm warning system that wouldn鈥檛 be Greek to anyone his age.
For less mighty storms he suggests, 鈥淐hilly Kitten,鈥� for electrical storms 鈥淧icachu鈥� (named after an electric Pokemon) so kids will know not to expect a snow day or to watch out for lightning.
聽I always fretted when hurricanes were named thinking that if one of my sons鈥� names was picked, and it turned out to be wimpy, that son would get mocked.
Conversely, if the storm did brutal damage, would I have to change the child鈥檚 name to save him from eternal abuse?
I have met two adult Katrinas who wish that storm had been given any other name.
However, Quin points out that a tough storm bearing their name could be a gift.
鈥淟et鈥檚 say a kid is always bullied,鈥� said Quin. 鈥淭hen along comes a monster storm with his name. It鈥檚 like, 鈥楬ey, don鈥檛 mess with that kid!鈥� 鈥�
NASA has for kids that lets your child check to see if a storm has ever borne his or her name.
If we鈥檙e going with a family-friendly naming system, then I would include: Hurricane Dad, White Tornado Mom, and Winter Storm Grandma/Grandpa.
Of course the ultimate storm moniker would be 鈥淲ho Did This?鈥� Then everyone would know they were in big touble.
