You're right, there are only 21 letters in the English alphabet, and hurricane seasons can easily exceed that number of storms. So how do scientists name hurricanes after the alphabet runs out?

Here's how they handle it:

* Greek Alphabet: Once the standard alphabet is exhausted, they start using the Greek alphabet! So after "W," it's Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and so on.

* Retired Names: If a hurricane is particularly devastating, its name may be retired. This means it will never be used again.

For example:

In 2005, a record-breaking year for Atlantic hurricanes, the alphabet was exhausted, and the Greek alphabet was used all the way to Zeta. The names Katrina, Rita, and Wilma were retired due to the damage they caused.

Important note: Each ocean basin has its own list of hurricane names. The Atlantic, Pacific, Eastern Pacific, and Central Pacific each have their own separate lists.