Colonial, Patriarchal Naming Conventions of Tropical Storms Disaster Capitalism Won't Hold Back the Real Storm: Climate Justice

Another Storm, Another White, Female Name — It's Almost Like Capitalist, Colonial Institutions Have an Ingrained Bias...

As Tropical Storm Debby — soon-to-be Hurricane Debby according to the patriarchal National Hurricane Center — approaches a Monday morning landfall in the Gulf Coast's Big Bend area, you might be wondering why this name sounds so damn familiar.

Well, it's because of good old Western patriarchy, that's why. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), headed by a rich, White male, has decided to use female names for Atlantic tropical cyclones since 1979, and because of this misogynistic and patriarchal decision, we've had to endure the following gendered, problematic storms:

• 1959, Hurricane Debra: made landfall in Texas, $7 million in damage, no deaths. Screw you, Debra.
• 1957, Tropical Storm Debbie: landfall near Fort Walton Beach, flooding caused four deaths. Thanks, Debbie.
• 1961, Hurricane Debbie: struck Ireland, Norway, and the Soviet Union, 78 deaths, $50 million in damages. Go away, Debbie!
• 1963, Hurricane Debra: Category 1 hurricane that thankfully spared the US. Debra, is that you again? Ugh.
• 1965, Tropical Storm Debbie: no hit, but $25 million in damages. Thanks for nothing, Debbie.
• 1969, Hurricane Debbie: Category 3, but thankfully no direct hit. A powerful display of toxic femininity, no less.
• 1978, Tropical Storm Debra: minimal impact on Louisiana. At least it wasn't a man, I guess?
• 1982, Hurricane Debby: Category 4, but no US impact. What did I just say about toxic femininity?
• 1988, Hurricane Debby: Category 1, hit Mexico, 20+ deaths. Debby, please, we've had enough.
• 1994, Tropical Storm Debby: weak, but 9 deaths in the Caribbean. Death and weakness? The ultimate female stereotype.
• 2000, Hurricane Debby: cost $735,000 in damages and caused an indirect death. One death, $735k — toxic femininity at its finest.
• 2006, Tropical Storm Debby: formed off Africa, then weakened. Unstable much?
• 2012, Tropical Storm Debby: extensive damage to Florida, $250 million in damages, 8 deaths. Can we recycle this name already?
• 2018, Tropical Storm Debby: Formed in the Atlantic, but kept a safe distance. A rare display of female restraint.
• 2024, Tropical Storm Debby: The current storm. Feminine rage, personified.

So, there you have it, folks. The next time a hurricane or tropical storm rolls around with a feminine name, remember it's not just the storm that's problematic — it's the entire colonial, capitalist system that's to blame.

P.S. If you're wondering when we'll see another Hurricane Debby, it's 2030. Mark your calendars, comrades. ##