Hurricane Name Study

The folks in charge at the National Hurricane Center might want to rethink giving some hurricanes female names. Data about hurricane-related deaths since 1950 shows female-named storms are routinely more deadly than hurricanes with male names.

The researchers think that may be due to people letting their guard down when warnings are issued for female-named hurricanes. That theory is backed up by research showing nearly half the participants think a hurricane with a woman's name wouldn't be as dangerous as one with a man's name.

The study was published in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States."