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Subject: B3) What storm names have been retired?

Kindly provided by Gary Padgett, Jack Beven (NHC), James Lewis Free (CSC), and Sandy Delgado (NHC).

In the Atlantic basin, tropical cyclone names are "retired" (that is, not to be used again for a new storm) if it is deemed to be quite noteworthy because of the damage and/or deaths it caused. This is to prevent confusion with a historically well-known cyclone with a current one in the Atlantic basin. Sometimes names are removed for other reasons, such as cultural considerations or politics. The following list gives the names that have been retired and the year of the storm in question.

Retired hurricane names
Atlantic
Audrey 1957, Agnes 1972, Anita 1977, Allen 1980, Alicia 1983, Andrew 1992, Allison 2001
Betsy 1965, Beulah 1967, Bob 1991
Connie 1955, Carla 1961, Cleo 1964, Carol 1965, Camille 1969, Celia 1970, Carmen 1974, Cesar 1996, Charley 2004
Diane 1955, Donna 1960, Dora 1964, David 1979, Diana 1990, Dennis 2005, Dean 2007
Edna 1968, Eloise 1975, Elena 1985, Erika 2015
Flora 1963, Fifi 1974, Frederic 1979, Fran 1996, Floyd 1999, Fabian 2003, Frances 2004, Felix 2007, Florence 2018
Greta 1978, Gloria 1985, Gilbert 1988, Georges 1998, Gustav 2008
Hazel 1954, Hattie 1961, Hilda 1964, Hugo 1989, Hortense 1996, Harvey 2017
Ione 1955, Inez 1966, Iris 2001, Isidore 2002, Isabel 2003, Ivan 2004, Ike 2008, Igor 2010, Irene 2011, Ingrid 2013, Irma 2017
Janet 1955, Joan 1988, Juan 2003, Jeanne 2004, Joaquin 2015
Klaus 1990, Keith 2000, Katrina 2005
Luis 1995, Lenny 1999, Lili 2002
Marilyn 1995, Mitch 1998, Michelle 2001,Matthew 2016, Maria 2017, Michael 2018
Noel 2007, Nate 2017
Opal 1995,Otto 2016
Paloma 2008
Roxanne 1995, Rita 2005
Stan 2005, Sandy 2012
Tomas 2010
Wilma 2005
Name retired because of previous storm in 1954 with the same name.


Although rarer, some East Pacific names have been retired from the list. The climatology of this basin has most hurricanes moving away from the shore, so chances are rare that these storms would adversely affect people necessitating the name be retired.

Retired hurricane names
East Pacific
Adele 1970, Adolph 2001, Alma 2008
Fico 1978, Fefa 1991
Hazel 1965
Iva 1988, Ismael 1995, Israel 2001, Isis 2016
Knut 1988, Kenna 2002
Manuel 2013
Odile 2014
Pauline 1997, Patricia 2015
Name retired because of political considerations


A few Central Pacific names have been retired from their list. Most of them were removed for inflicting damage or adversely affecting the Hawai'ian Islands. However, some have moved into the western Pacific to cause destructions, prompting their retirement.

Retired hurricane names
Central Pacific
Iwa 1982, Iniki 1992, Ioke 2006
Paka 1997


Names retired before the 2000 season come from the name lists used by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Since 2000, the names removed come from the name lists used by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Most of the retired names inflicted significant damage to the nations affected.

Retired typhoon names
Western Pacific
Bess 1974, Bess 1982, Bilis 2006, Bopha 2012
Chanchu 2006, Chataan 2002
Durian 2006
Fanapi 2010, Fitow 2013
Hanuman 2002, Haiyan 2013, Halma 2016
Ike 1984, Imbudo 2003
Karen 1962, Ketsana 2009, Kodo 2002, Koppu 2015
Lucille 1960, Longwang 2005
Maemi 2003, Matsa 2005, Mike 1990, Mireille 1991, Morakot 2009, Mujigae 2015, Melor 2015, Meranti 2016
Nabi 2005, Nock-ten 2016
Ophelia 1960, Omar 1992
Parma 2009, Pongsona 2002
Rananim 2004, Roy 1988, Rusa 2002, Rammasun 2014
Saomai 2006, Sudal 2004, Sonamu 2013, Soudelor 2015, Sarika 2016
Thelma 1991, Tingting 2004
Utor 2013
Vamei 2001, Vicente 2012
Washi 2011
Xangsane 2006
Yanyan 2004
Bess 1974 was retired after the season and replaced with Bonnie. In 1979, new name lists featuring both sexes were introduced and Bess was added back. In 1982, Bess was again retired and replaced with Brenda.
Retired before being used

Last revised June 20, 2019

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