at 12:12 PM by Mallory Schnell

The Misuse and Overuse of the Term “Superstorm”

The term “Superstorm” has become a popular word thrown around in the world of weather information, yet Marshall Shepherd and Ryan Maue both agree that it is overused and essentially meaningless. What makes a storm “super”? No legitimate definition can be found in reputable meteorological sources, like the American Meteorological Society’s Glossary.

Throwing terms like this one around in news and social media can affect people on different levels, and is something that needs to be studied further in the social and behavioral sciences. One’s perception of what a “Superstorm” is can vary from another’s. According to social scientist Kim Klockow of the University Center of Atmospheric Research, until we better understand what terms like “Superstorm” really mean to people and how they will respond – caution must be taken with the use of terminology (Capital Weather Gang).

With the 24/7 news cycle that is now present at our fingertips, “click bait” and hyped up terms like “Superstorm” are becoming more and more common to get people’s attention. But how does this affect emergency management? Cities and communities know how to plan for different categories of hurricanes, but how does a location prepare for a “Superstorm”? Accurate information is key for preparing and protecting people from disaster; words like “Superstorm” prevent information from being useful during emergencies.

Shepherd and Maue end their commentary with this last point: Thus, we urge journalists and social media content generators to embrace accuracy in describing weather events with terms that already have meaning. A hurricane is scary enough without being “supersized” or turned into a zombie.

For the entire article, be sure to visit the Capital Weather Gang’s website.