Storm Names

Hurricane Information Center |

| home

InfoCenter: Storm Names

Naming Hurricanes (See Atlantic Storm Names and Retired Names below)

• First person to give hurricane names was Clement Wragge, Australian weatherman, who used biblical names

• During WWII, storms were named after women of the Army Meteorological Service, usually after wives and girlfriends back home

• In 1953, the National Weather Service began naming storms alphabetically after women

• In 1978/1979, the names were alternated with men's names

The lists are maintained by the World Metereological Organization

• Atlantic and Pacific Hurricanes use separate alphabetic lists

• The most intense hurricane, as measured by atmospheric pressure, was an unnamed storm that hit the Florida Keys in 1935 with winds in excess of 155 mph

• Hurricane names are recycled every six years

• The list of names for 2004 will be used again in 2010, 2005 will be recycled in 2011, etc.

• The names of famous hurricanes are usually dropped and replaced with something else. Luis has been replaced by Lorenzo and Andrew by Alex

• Names beginning with Q, U, X, Y and Z are not used because there are so few

Atlantic Storm Names (scroll up to see history of Storm naming)

Scroll down to see retired names Scroll up for history TOP HOME

2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Arlene Bret Cindy Dennis Emily Franklin Gert Harvey Irene Jose Katrina Lee Maria Nate Ophelia Philippe Rita Stan Tammy Vince Wilma ALPHA	Alberto Beryl Chris Debby Ernesto Florence Gordon Helene Isaac Joyce Kirk Leslie Michael Nadine Oscar Patty Rafael Sandy Tony Valerie William	Andrea Barry Chantal Dean Erin Felix Gabrielle Humberto Ingrid Jerry Karen Lorenzo Melissa Noel Olga Pablo Rebekah Sebastien Tanya Van Wendy	Arthur Bertha Cristobal Dolly Edouard Fay Gustav Hanna Ike Josephine Kyle Laura Marco Nana Omar Paloma Rene Sally Teddy Vicky Wilfred	Ana Bill Claudette Danny Erika Fred Grace Henri Ida Joaquin Kate Larry Mindy Nicholas Odette Peter Rose Sam Teresa Victor Wanda	Alex Bonnie Colin Danielle Earl Fiona Gaston Hermine Igor Julia Karl Lisa Matthew Nicole Otto Paula Richard Shary Tomas Virginie Walter

List is recycled every 6 years. So 2004 is used in 2010, 2005 in 2011, etc.

Scroll down to see retired names

Alphabetical list of retired names TOP HOME List of Names

The only time that there is a change is if a storm is so deadly or costly that

the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate

for obvious reasons of sensitivity. If that occurs, then at an annual meeting

by the committee (called primarily to discuss many other issues)

the offending name is stricken from the list and another name is selected to replace it.

This is a list of retired names as of the beginning of this season. Surely Katrina will be retired after last year (2005).

Agnes 1972

Alicia 1983

Allen 1980

Allison 2001

Andrew 1992

Anita 1977

Audrey 1957

Betsy 1965

Beulah 1967

Bob 1991

Camille 1969

Carla 1961

Carmen 1974

Carol 1954

Celia 1970

Cesar 1996

Charley 2004

Cleo 1964

Connie 1955

David 1979

Diana 1990

Diane 1955

Donna 1960

Dora 1964

Edna 1968

Elena 1985

Eloise 1975

Fabian 2003

Fifi 1974

Flora 1963

Floyd 1999

Fra 1996

Frances 2004

Frederic 1979

Georges 1998

Gilbert 1988

Gloria 1985

Hattie 1961

Hazel 1954

Hilda 1964

Hortense 1996

Hugo 1989

Inez 1966

Ione 1955

Iris 2001

Isabel 2003

Isidore 2002

Ivan 2004

Janet 1955

Jeanne 2004

Joan 1988

Juan 2003

Keith 2000

Klaus 1990

Lenny 1999

Lili 2002

Luis 1995

Marilyn 1995

Michelle 2001

Mitch 1998

Opal 1995

Roxanne 1995

TOP HOME

Worlwide lists exist for all types of cyclones, hurricanes, etc.