List of retired Pacific hurricane names facts for kids

Tracks of all retired Pacific hurricanes

In the Pacific Ocean, very powerful or destructive storms called tropical cyclones (like hurricanes) are given names. But if a storm causes a lot of damage or deaths, its name can be "retired." This means the name will never be used again for another storm. The World Meteorological Organization decides which names to retire. Names can also be retired if they become politically sensitive.

So far, 21 storm names have been retired in the Eastern and Central Pacific Ocean. The Eastern Pacific is the area between 140°W longitude and the coast of North America. The Central Pacific is between the International Date Line (180°) and 140°W longitude, both north of the Equator.

The deadliest storm to have its name retired was Hurricane Pauline. It hit Mexico in October 1997 and caused over 230 deaths. The most expensive hurricane was Hurricane Otis, which caused more than $12 billion in damage in October 2023. Dora and Otis are the most recent Pacific storms to have their names retired.

Why Storm Names Are Retired

Hurricane Pauline at its strongest, near Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca

Naming tropical cyclones helps people track them and talk about them easily. The idea of retiring names started in 1955 in the Atlantic Ocean. This happened after hurricanes Carol, Edna, and Hazel caused a lot of damage in the United States. At first, names were only retired for ten years. But later, it was decided that names of very important hurricanes would be retired forever.

Sometimes, names are removed for other reasons too. For example, a name might sound too much like another retired name. Or, a name might be removed for political reasons, meaning it could cause problems or upset people.

Naming in the Eastern Pacific

The Eastern Pacific basin started naming tropical cyclones in 1960. They first used four lists of female names. In 1977, after some groups protested, the World Meteorological Organization took over naming. They created six lists of names that included both male and female names. These lists rotate every six years. If a name is retired, a new name replaces it on the list.

Naming in the Central Pacific

In the Central Pacific, storms were sometimes named by borrowing names from the Western Pacific lists. In 1979, Hawaiian names were brought back for storms in this region. Five lists of Hawaiian names were created, using only the 12 letters of the Hawaiian alphabet. These lists were meant to be used yearly. However, because no storms formed there for a few years, they switched to four lists that would be used one after another.

Before the 2007 Pacific hurricane season, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center asked to retire eleven names. But the committee said no. They explained that their rules for retiring names are very strict. Even if a storm greatly affected Hawaii, its impact might not be big enough to retire its name.

Names Retired in the Eastern Pacific

Damage in Acapulco, Guerrero, from Hurricane Otis

Seventeen names have been retired in the Eastern Pacific basin as of 2024. Before 1978, the names Hazel and Adele were retired, but the reasons are not fully clear. The name Fico was retired in 1978 after it affected Hawaii. Knut was removed in 1987 for unknown reasons, even though it was not a very strong storm.

In 1989, the name Iva was removed because it sounded too much like Iwa, a name retired from the Central Pacific list. In the early 1990s, Fefa and Ismael were retired after hitting Hawaii and Northern Mexico. Hurricane Pauline, which caused many deaths in Mexico in 1997, also had its name retired.

Some names were retired for political reasons. Adolph and Israel were removed before the 2001 Pacific hurricane season because people had concerns about using them. Kenna was retired in 2003 because it was one of the strongest Pacific hurricanes ever.

Alma was retired in 2009. It was the first Eastern Pacific storm to hit land along Central America's Pacific coast. Manuel was retired in 2013. It was the first Eastern Pacific storm to hit mainland Mexico, then get stronger over water, and become a hurricane again.

In 2015, Odile was retired because it was the first major hurricane to hit Baja California in 25 years. At the same meeting, the name Isis was removed from the 2016 list. This was because of the extremist group that was also called Isis.

Names Retired in the Central Pacific

Four names have been retired in the Central Pacific basin as of 2024. This area is between the International Date Line (180°) and 140°W. Hurricanes Iwa and Iniki were retired because they caused a lot of damage in Hawaii. Paka and Ioke were retired after affecting islands in Micronesia.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Nombres de huracanes retirados en el Pacífico para niños

• List of Pacific hurricanes
• List of retired Atlantic 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