List of retired Atlantic hurricane names facts for kids

Have you ever wondered why some hurricane names, like Katrina or Sandy, are never used again? It's because they caused so much damage or loss of life that their names were officially "retired"! This means they're taken off the list forever to honor the memory of those affected and to avoid confusion.

As of March 2023, 96 storm names have been retired in the North Atlantic region. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is in charge of naming tropical cyclones (which include tropical storms and hurricanes). They use six lists of 21 names, one list for each year. This way, names usually get reused every six years. But if a storm is especially deadly or destructive, its name is retired. A new name starting with the same letter is then chosen to replace it. The decision to retire a name is made by the WMO Hurricane Committee each spring, after the hurricane season ends.

The idea of retiring storm names started in 1955 by the United States Weather Bureau. This happened after big hurricanes like Carol, Edna, and Hazel hit the Northeastern United States in 1954. At first, names were retired for 10 years, but in 1969, they decided to retire them permanently. In 1977, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gave control of the naming lists to the WMO Hurricane Committee.

Since official naming began in 1947, about one Atlantic storm name has been retired each year. However, some years, like 2023, had no retired names. The 2005 season had the most names retired, with five! Four names were retired in 1955, 1995, 2004, and 2017. The 2000s saw the most names retired in a decade (24), followed by the 2010s (16).

The deadliest storm with a retired name was Hurricane Mitch. It caused over 10,000 deaths when it hit Central America in October 1998. The most expensive storms were hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Harvey (2017). Each caused about $125 billion in damage to the U.S. Gulf Coast, mostly from flooding. The most recent names to be retired are Fiona and Ian.

How Storms Get Their Names

By 1947, the U.S. Army Air Forces were already naming tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic. They used a phonetic alphabet (like "Alpha," "Bravo," "Charlie") for private talks between weather centers and aircraft. This became public in September 1950 when three hurricanes (Baker, Dog, Easy) happened at the same time, confusing everyone.

In 1953, a new idea came along: using female names for storms. People liked it, and the names were used in newspapers. For a few years, new lists were made each season. Then, in 1960, forecasters created four lists that rotated every four years. These lists only had female names and skipped letters like Q, U, X, Y, and Z.

When Names Are Retired Permanently

In 1955, they decided to retire names of big storms for 10 years. After that, the names could be used again. For example, Carol and Edna were brought back for the 1965 and 1968 seasons. But in 1969, they changed the rule. Names like Carol, Edna, and Hazel were so important for research that they were retired forever. From then on, any major hurricane would have its name permanently retired.

In 1977, the World Meteorological Organization's Hurricane Committee (WMO) took over naming. From 1979 onwards, they started using six lists of names that included both male and female names. These same six lists are still used today by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). If a storm is very significant, its name is removed from the list permanently and a new name is chosen at the next committee meeting.

Why a Name Gets Retired

Today, a tropical cyclone's name can be retired if a country asks for it. This usually happens if the storm becomes famous for causing many deaths, a lot of damage, or other serious problems. The WMO committee then discusses the request and votes on whether to retire the name.

In 2017, some Caribbean countries suggested adding a new rule: a storm's name should only be retired if its winds reached at least 96 miles per hour (154 km/h). This idea came after Tropical Storm Erika in 2015 caused huge floods and mudslides in Dominica, even though it didn't have very strong winds. This new rule hasn't been put in place yet.

Changes to the Greek Alphabet List

Before, if all the names on a yearly list were used up, storms would be named using letters from the Greek alphabet. The WMO first said that Greek-letter names could never be retired. So, even if storms like Eta and Iota in 2020 were devastating, their letter names would still be available for future use.

However, this rule was changed in 2021. The names Eta and Iota were officially retired. The WMO also decided to stop using the Greek alphabet for extra names. Instead, they now have a new backup list of names.

Names Retired in the 1950s

Storm surge from Hurricane Carol floods the Edgewood Yacht Club in Rhode Island.

Between 1954 and 1959, eight storm names were retired because of their big impact. At first, they were retired for 10 years, but after 1969, they became permanently retired. No names were retired in 1956, 1958, and 1959. These storms caused at least 2,967 deaths and over $2.1 billion in damage. The deadliest was Hurricane Hazel, which killed at least 1,191 people. The most expensive was Hurricane Diane, causing $831 million in damage.

Names Retired in the 1960s

Hurricane Betsy was the first hurricane to cause over US$1 billion in damages.

In 1960, four lists of names were created to rotate each year. The rule of retiring names for 10 years continued, and 11 names were retired in this decade. At the 1969 Hurricane Warning Conference, it was decided that Carol, Edna, Hazel, and Inez would be permanently retired because they were so important for research. This led to the current practice of permanently retiring names of significant storms. No names were retired in 1962 and 1968. These 11 storms caused at least 10,261 deaths and over $6.6 billion in damage.

Names Retired in the 1970s

Hurricane David at its strongest.

In 1979, the WMO started using both male and female names for tropical cyclones. This decade saw the first male Atlantic hurricane names retired: David and Frederic. Nine storms had their names retired during this time. These nine storms caused at least 10,618 deaths and over $9.7 billion in damage. No names were retired in 1971, 1973, and 1976.

Names Retired in the 1980s

Hurricane Gilbert at its strongest.

The 1980s had the fewest retired storm names, with only 7 names removed. These 7 storms caused over $19.9 billion in damage and at least 891 deaths. Hurricane Gilbert had the lowest pressure (888 hPa or 26.22 inHg), making it the most intense hurricane by pressure in the North Atlantic until Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Hurricane Allen had the strongest winds, with speeds of 190 mph (305 km/h), which is still the highest sustained wind speed ever recorded for an Atlantic hurricane. No names were retired in 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, and 1987.

Names Retired in the 1990s

Damage after Hurricane Andrew in Miami.

The 1990s saw the Atlantic Ocean become more active, with more tropical cyclones forming. This decade included Hurricane Andrew, which was the most expensive hurricane at the time, and Hurricane Mitch, considered the deadliest tropical cyclone ever 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 them in 1995 and 1996. These 15 storms caused over $66.8 billion in damage and at least 19,325 deaths. No names were retired in 1993, 1994, and 1997.

Names Retired in the 2000s

Radar view of Hurricane Katrina hitting Louisiana on August 29, 2005.

The 2000s had the most retired storm names, with 24 names removed. This was because the Atlantic basin entered a "warm phase" in the mid-1990s, leading to more active hurricane seasons. This decade included Hurricane Katrina, one of the most expensive tropical cyclones ever, causing about $125 billion in damage to the Gulf Coast of the United States. Katrina was also the deadliest hurricane to hit the United States since 1928.

Tropical Storm Allison became the first tropical storm (not a hurricane) to have its name retired after causing about $9 billion in damage and flooding in southeastern Texas. Also, subtropical storms began to be named in 2002. Hurricane Jeanne was the deadliest storm of the decade, causing over 3,000 deaths in Haiti and other parts of the Caribbean. In October 2005, Hurricane Wilma became the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic, with a very low central pressure of 882 hPa (26.05 inHg). No names were retired in 2006 and 2009. Overall, these 24 storms caused nearly 7,900 deaths and over $300 billion in damage.

Names Retired in the 2010s

Hurricane Harvey hours before hitting Texas on August 25, 2017

The 2010s saw some of the most damaging hurricanes in U.S. history. Out of 152 named storms, 30 were classified as major hurricanes. A total of 16 tropical cyclone names were retired during this decade. These storms caused at least 4,750 deaths and over $380 billion in damage.

Hurricane Maria was the most intense by pressure (908 hPa or 26.81 inHg) and the deadliest, causing 3,059 deaths. Hurricane Dorian had the strongest winds, reaching 185 mph (295 km/h). Hurricane Harvey was the most expensive storm of the decade, and tied with 2005's Katrina as the costliest overall. No names were retired in 2014.

Names Retired in the 2020s

Hurricane Ian at its strongest as it neared southwest Florida on September 28, 2022

So far, six tropical cyclone names have been retired in the 2020s. Hurricane Laura was the most expensive hurricane of the 2020 season, causing over $23 billion in damage. Much of this damage happened along the southwestern Louisiana coast due to its 18-foot (5.5 m) storm surge.

Hurricanes Eta and Iota both hit Nicaragua. Iota had very strong winds of about 145 mph (233 km/h). Both storms brought heavy rain and flooding to much of Central America. Hurricane Ida hit southeastern Louisiana with winds of 130 knots (150 mph; 241 km/h). It was the costliest hurricane of the 2021 season, causing $73.6 billion in damage and 107 deaths from the southeastern U.S. to New England.

Hurricane Fiona caused major damage to islands in the Caribbean Sea and was the strongest storm by pressure to hit Atlantic Canada. Hurricane Ian is the third-costliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, only behind hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Harvey (2017). Ian hit western Florida and caused widespread destruction before weakening. It then moved into the Atlantic Ocean, became a Category 1 hurricane again, and hit the coast of South Carolina. No names were retired for the 2023 season.

Images for kids

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  Cumulative tracks of all retired Atlantic hurricanes (1953–2018)

See also

• Lists of Atlantic hurricanes
• List of historical 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 region cyclone names
• List of retired South Pacific cyclone names