Donald Trump Jr., the son of the former president, has once again sparked controversy with his comments on social media. This time, his target was Hurricane Beryl, a Category 5 storm causing devastation in the Caribbean. Trump Jr. took to X (formerly Twitter) to mock the hurricane’s name, saying, “Beryl? Even our Hurricanes are gender non-binary now.” This comment was met with widespread criticism for its ignorance of established naming conventions for tropical storms.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has maintained a list of names for hurricanes for decades, alternating between male and female names to ensure clear communication. The name Beryl has been part of this rotation for years, named after a precious stone known for its clear or pale green hue. Naming hurricanes dates back to the mid-20th century, initially to avoid cumbersome latitude and longitude coordinates. The practice of naming hurricanes with female names began in 1953 and was expanded to include male names in 1979. These names are chosen years in advance from a list approved by the WMO.
Despite the historical and practical reasons behind hurricane naming, Trump Jr.’s comment seemed to suggest a nonbinary agenda, which is baseless. The name Beryl, although less common today, has been used for girls and remains part of the hurricane naming system. Furthermore, the WMO ensures clear and effective communication between meteorologists, media, emergency management agencies, and the public, making Trump Jr.’s assertion particularly absurd.
Hurricane Beryl recently intensified to a Category 5 storm, wreaking havoc in the Caribbean. It made landfall on the island of Carriacou in Grenada, setting records as the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. The storm’s severity highlights the importance of effective communication and the absurdity of politicizing hurricane names.
In response to Trump Jr.’s post, users on X expressed their frustration, with comments like, “Dude that name has been on the list since the early 1980s,” and “Anyone named Trump should steer clear of snarky comments about hurricane maps.” This reaction recalls a 2019 incident when then-President Donald Trump used a Sharpie to alter a map of Hurricane Dorian’s trajectory, falsely including Alabama, despite official clarifications that it would not be affected.
The ongoing saga of the Trump family’s interactions with hurricanes underscores a broader issue of misinformation and the importance of understanding the systems in place to protect and inform the public.