List of retired Atlantic hurricane names

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

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. 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. It was also decided that any significant hurricane in the future would also be permanently retired. 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. 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. These days 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. The committee subsequently discuss the proposal and either through building consensus or a majority vote decides if the name should be retired or withdrawn.

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. 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

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. 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. This request was subsequently accepted and led to today's practice of retiring names of significant tropical cyclones permanently. There were no names retired after the 1962 and the 1968 seasons. 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 1980s

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 with a pressure of 888 hPa (26.22 inHg), which also made it the most intense North Atlantic hurricane on record until Hurricane Wilma surpassed it during 2005. 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

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

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. 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. Katrina was also the deadliest hurricane to strike the United States since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. 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. 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. 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). There were no retired names after the 2006 and 2009 hurricane seasons. 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

So far during the current decade, seven tropical cyclone names have been retired. Collectively, these systems killed at least 491 people and caused at least 7010942570500000000♠$94.3 billion worth of damage. Hurricane Igor is currently the strongest storm of the decade to have its name retired, while Hurricane Sandy is currently the costliest and deadliest storm of the 2010s as well as the second-costliest in history. 2014 saw no retired names.