A couple who have been married for 75 years happen to share their names with the back-to-back hurricanes that have battered the Gulf Coast and Caribbean.
According to the New York Times, this is the first time that Harvey and Irma Schluter — aged 104 and 92, respectively — have seen two storms of this magnitude bearing their names. “I don’t know how they’ve done that, to have a Harvey and Irma,” Mrs. Schluter said. “I don’t know how that worked out.”
But while this naming fluke may seem coincidental, there’s a method to the madness.
The World Meteorological Organization annually rotates six alphabetically-arranged lists of 21 names — alternating male and female — for Atlantic tropical storms, so each moniker theoretically could be repeated every seventh year. However, names of storms that are unusually deadly or destructive are retired. Irene used to come after Harvey, but was replaced by Irma following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Irene in 2011.
It’s likely both Harvey and Irma will be retired after the 2017 storm season, which would mean this is the only time the Schluters will see their names paired together.
- What We Know So Far About the Deadly Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
- Beyoncé's Album of the Year Snub Fits Into the Grammys' Long History of Overlooking Black Women
- How the U.S. Shot Down the Alleged Chinese Spy Balloon
- Effective Altruism Has a Toxic Culture of Sexual Harassment and Abuse, Women Say
- Inside Bolsonaro's Surreal New Life as a Florida Man—and MAGA Darling
- 'Return to Office' Plans Spell Trouble for Working Moms
- 8 Ways to Read More Books—and Why You Should
- Why Aren't Movies Sexy Anymore?
- How Logan Paul's Crypto Empire Fell Apart
