List of retired Atlantic hurricane names

Cumulative tracks of retired Atlantic hurricanes until 2012

This is a cumulative list of previously used tropical cyclone (tropical storm and hurricane) names which have been indefinitely removed from reuse in the North Atlantic region.

The naming of North Atlantic tropical cyclones is currently under the oversight of the Hurricane Committee of the World Meteorological Organization. This group maintains six alphabetical lists of names, with one list used each year. This normally results in each name being reused every six years. However, in the case of a particularly deadly or damaging storm, that storm's name is retired, and a replacement starting with the same letter is selected to take its place. The decision whether to remove a name is made yearly at an annual session of the Hurricane Committee.

The practice of retiring storm names was begun by the United States Weather Bureau in 1955, after major hurricanes Carol, Edna, and Hazel struck the Northeastern United States during the previous year. Initially their names were retired for ten years, after which time they could be reintroduced; however, in 1969, the policy was changed to have the names retired indefinitely. In 1977, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) transferred control of the naming lists to the Hurricane Committee.

Since the formal start of naming during the 1947 Atlantic hurricane season, an average of one Atlantic storm name has been retired each year, though many seasons (most recently 2014) did not have any names retired. The deadliest storm to have its name retired was Hurricane Mitch, which caused over 10,000 fatalities when it struck Central America during October 1998, while the costliest storm was Hurricane Katrina, which caused over $108 billion in damage when it struck the U.S. Gulf Coast in August 2005.^{[nb 1]} The most recently retired storm name is Hurricane Otto, which struck Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua in late-November 2016.

Background

By 1947, tropical cyclones developing in the North Atlantic Ocean were named by the United States Army Air Forces in private communications between weather centres and aircraft using the Phonetic alphabet.^[1][2] This practice continued until September 1950, when the names started to be used publicly after three hurricanes (Baker, Dog, Easy) had occurred simultaneously and caused confusion within the media and the public.^[1] Over the next 2 years the public use of the phonetic alphabet to name systems continued before at the 1953 Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference it was decided to start using a new list of female names during that season, as a second phonetic alphabet had been developed.^[1][3][4] During the active but mild 1953 Atlantic hurricane season, the names were readily used in the press with few objections recorded; as a result, the same names were reused during the next year with only one change: Gilda for Gail. Over the next 6 years a new list of names was developed ahead of each season, before in 1960 forecasters developed four alphabetical sets and repeated them every four years.^[5] These new sets followed the example of the typhoon names and excluded names beginning with the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z, and keeping them to female names only.^[5]

In 1955, it was decided to start retiring the names of significant tropical cyclones for ten years after which they might be reintroduced, with the names Carol and Edna reintroduced ahead of the 1965 and 1968 hurricane seasons respectively.^[1] At the 1969 Interdepartmental hurricane conference the naming lists were revised after it was decided that the names Carol, Edna and Hazel, would be permanently retired because of their importance to the research community.^[1][6] It was also decided that any significant hurricane in the future would also be permanently retired.^[1][6] Ahead of the 1971 Atlantic hurricane season, ten lists of hurricane names were inaugurated, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In 1977 it was decided that the World Meteorological Organization's Hurricane Committee (WMO) would control the names used, who subsequently decided that six lists of names would be used in the Atlantic Ocean from 1979 onwards with male names included.^[1] Since 1979 the same six lists have been used by the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) to name systems, with names of significant tropical cyclones retired from the lists permanently and replaced with new names as required at the following year's hurricane committee meeting.^[1]

At present, the name of any tropical cyclone may be retired or withdrawn from the list of names at the request of a member state, if it acquires notoriety for various reasons including the number of deaths, amount of damages or other impacts.^[7] The committee subsequently discuss the proposal and either through building consensus or a majority vote decides if the name should be retired or withdrawn. In March 2017, members of the British Caribbean Territories proposed that a third retirement criteria be added: the tropical cyclone must have sustained winds of at least 96 mph (154 km/h). This came in light of the retirement of Tropical Storm Erika in 2015 which caused catastrophic flooding and mudslides in Dominica without producing sustained tropical storm-force winds on the island. No action has been taken on this proposal yet.^[8]

With ten names currently having been retired as of now, the letter I holds the record for the most retired names up to this point. This is actually something of a surprise given the fact that, up until 1995, absolutely no storm names starting with the letter L on up had ever before been retired. Indeed, by further adding K into the mix still only first saw a retired storm name as recent as the 1990 hurricane season (with Hurricane Klaus). This means that no hurricane season had ever seen more than its tenth named storm of the season (storms beginning with the letter J) being impactful enough as to earn its retirement from the 1950s all the way up until the 1990 season, even though it's only the ninth named storm system (those that start with I) in any given season which presently holds the record for the letter with the most retired storm names. Hurricane Ione in the 1955 season was the first I lettered storm's name to be retired, while the most recent I retirement was Hurricane Ingrid in 2013.

The runner-up letter possessing the second most retired storm names belongs to the letter C (marking the third named storm system in any given season) which has seen nine retired storm names as of the 2016 hurricane season. Furthermore, the only letter that has never before had a storm meet the criteria for retirement is V, the 20th named storm in a season; even W has had a storm major enough to achieve its being retired, with Hurricane Wilma, during the record breaking 2005 hurricane season.

Names retired in the 1950s

Between 1954 and 1959, eight names were deemed significant enough to be retired for ten years due to their impact, before being permanently retired after 1969. There were no names retired after the 1956, 1958, and 1959 seasons.^[7][9][10] Collectively, these storms resulted in at least 2090 fatalities and over 7009205500000000000♠$2.06 billion in damage. The deadliest hurricane was Hurricane Hazel, which killed at least 701 people, while the costliest was Hurricane Diane, which caused 7008856000000000000♠US$856 million in damage.

Names retired in the 1960s

Hurricane Betsy was the first hurricane to have damages exceeding US$1 billion.

In 1960, four rotating lists of names were developed to avoid having to create new lists each year, while the practice of retiring any particularly damaging storm names for 10 years continued, with 11 names deemed significant enough to be retired during the decade.^[1][22] At the 1969 Hurricane Warning Conference, the National Hurricane Center requested that the names Inez, Carol, Edna, and Hazel be permanently retired due to their importance to the research community.^[1][23] This request was subsequently accepted and led to today's practice of retiring names of significant tropical cyclones permanently.^[1][6] There were no names retired after the 1962 and the 1968 seasons.^{[nb 2]} Collectively, the 11 systems were responsible for over 9000 fatalities and in excess of 7009441000000000000♠US$4.41 billion in damage.

Names retired in the 1970s

Hurricane David at its peak intensity.

Starting in 1979, the World Meteorological Organization began assigning both male and female names to tropical cyclones.^[1] This decade featured hurricanes David and Frederic, the first male Atlantic hurricane names to be retired. During this decade, 9 storms were deemed significant enough to have their names retired. Together these 9 systems caused at least 7009940800000000000♠$9.41 billion in damage, while more than 10,500 people lost their lives. No names were retired by the Hurricane Committee after the 1971, 1973, or 1976 seasons.

Names retired in the 1980s

Hurricane Gilbert at its peak intensity.

After control of the naming scheme was turned over to the World Meteorological Organization's Hurricane Committee during the mid-1970s, the 1980s marked the least prolific decade in terms of the number of retired storms with 7 names warranting removal. Between them the 7 systems caused over 7010208876000000000♠$20.9 billion in damage while over 893 people lost their lives. Hurricane Gilbert was the most intense tropical cyclone during the decade by pressure, with a minimum value of 888 hPa (26.22 inHg). This was the lowest recorded pressure in a North Atlantic hurricane until Hurricane Wilma surpassed it during 2005.^[45] In addition, Hurricane Allen was the most intense tropical cyclone during the decade by wind speed, with maximum 1–minute sustained winds of 190 mph (305 km/h). This remains the highest sustained wind speed of any Atlantic hurricane on record.^[46] with No names were retired by the Hurricane Committee after the 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, or 1987 seasons, which was the most of any decade since the introduction of the practice of retiring hurricane names.

Names retired in the 1990s

Damage after Hurricane Andrew in Miami.

During the 1990s, the Atlantic Ocean moved into its active era, which led to more tropical cyclones forming during the hurricane seasons. The decade featured Hurricane Andrew which at the time was the costliest hurricane on record, and also Hurricane Mitch which is considered to be the deadliest tropical cyclone to have its name retired killing over 11,000 people in Central America. A total of 15 names were retired in this decade, with seven of those during the 1995 and 1996 seasons. There were no names retired after the 1993, 1994 and 1997 seasons.

Names retired in the 2000s

Hurricane Charley making landfall on August 13, 2004 at its peak intensity.

After the Atlantic basin had moved into the warm phase of the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation during the mid-1990s, the 2000s marked the most prolific decade in terms of the number of retired storms, with 24 names warranting removal.^{[nb 2]} The decade featured one of the costliest tropical cyclones on record, Hurricane Katrina, which inflicted roughly 7011108000000000000♠US$108 billion in damage across the Gulf Coast of the United States.^[30] Katrina was also the deadliest hurricane to strike the United States since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane.^[11] After causing approximately 7009900000000000000♠US$9 billion in damage, Tropical Storm Allison became the first tropical storm in this basin to have its name retired, while subtropical storms started to be named during 2002.^[81][82] Hurricane Jeanne was the deadliest storm during the decade and was responsible for over 3000 deaths, when it impacted Haiti and other parts of the Caribbean.^[83] During October 2005, Hurricane Wilma became the most intense tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin on record, with a central pressure of 882 hPa (26.05 inHg).^[45] There were no retired names after the 2006 and 2009 hurricane seasons.^[10] Collectively, the 24 systems were responsible for nearly 7,900 fatalities and in excess of 7011280247700000000♠US$280 billion in damage.

Names retired in the 2010s

Hurricane Sandy hours before landfall on October 29, 2012.

So far during the current decade, nine tropical cyclone names have been retired.^{[nb 2]} Collectively, these systems killed at least 1117 people and caused at least 7011109537350000000♠$110 billion worth of damage. So far, Hurricane Igor is the most intense tropical cyclone during the decade by pressure, with a minimum value of 924 hPa (27.29 inHg). In addition, Hurricane Matthew is the deadliest and most intense tropical cyclone by wind speed during the decade, with over 600 deaths and maximum 1–minute sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/h), respectively. Hurricane Sandy is currently the costliest Atlantic hurricane in the 2010s as well as the second-costliest in history, with 7010750000000000000♠US$75 billion in damage attributed to it. 2014 saw no retired names.^[10]

See also

• List of Atlantic hurricanes
• List of historic tropical cyclone names
• List of retired Pacific hurricane names
• List of retired Pacific typhoon names
• List of retired Philippine typhoon names
• List of retired Australian cyclone names
• List of retired South Pacific tropical cyclone names

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Blake, Eric S; Landsea, Christopher W; Gibney, Ethan J; National Hurricane Center (August 2011). The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones from 1851 to 2010 (And Other Frequently Requested Hurricane Facts) (PDF) (NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS NHC-6). United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2012. 

External links

• National Hurricane Center's Post-Season Reports
• NHC's list of deadliest hurricanes
• NHC's list of US-striking hurricanes