When do hurricane names get retired?

Video above: Why do so many ‘infamous’ hurricanes have ‘I’ names?

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – With nearly two months to go until the end of what was predicted to be a “hyperactive” hurricane season, residents throughout the southeastern U.S. are grappling with the damage and destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Helene made landfall in the Florida Big Bend region as a Category 4 storm late Thursday night with winds of 140 mph. The hurricane’s massive rains and catastrophic storm surge left people stranded and more than 100 dead across five states.

While communities and officials assess the damage left behind from the deadly storm, it’s likely there will never be another “Hurricane Helene” — here’s why.

Why hurricane names are retired

According to the National Hurricane Center, the only time a hurricane name is retired is if the 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,” the NHC said.

WFLA Meteorologist Eric Stone said in a “particularly bad hurricane season,” multiple names can get retired.

“The World Meteorological Organization maintains six lists of 21 names for tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic, with one list used each year. This means that names are typically reused every six years unless a storm is severe enough to warrant retirement,” he said.

Will ‘Helene’ be retired?

While it’s too soon to know for sure if the name “Helene” will be retired from hurricane use, it’s safe to say that the name most likely won’t make a return.

As the storm’s overall death toll tops 100, many citizens are still unaccounted for in the Appalachia areas that were soaked with torrential rains.

“There’s no doubt in not mind that Helene will be retired with the number of deaths and destruction from this storm,” Stone said.

Other retired hurricane names

Retiring a hurricane name is a significant decision as names are typically recycled.

Because Atlantic hurricane names are repeated every sixth year, Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm in north Florida in 2023, will be reused in 2029 because it was not retired.

So what hurricane names have been retired? Some notable names:

Katrina (2005) — One of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history, causing more than 1,300 fatalities and over $180 billion in damage.

Andrew (1992) — The powerful and destructive Category 5 hurricane struck the Bahamas, southeastern Florida, and Louisiana, leaving 65 dead in its wake.

Sandy (2012) — The WMO retired the name because of the extreme damage and cost. The name “Sara” replaced “Sandy” when the list was used again in 2018.

Harvey (2017) — Harvey became a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall along the middle Texas coast. The storm became the second costliest hurricane in the U.S. behind Katrina and left at least 68 dead.

Irma (2017) — Irma was a “long-lived” hurricane that reached Category 5 status and made seven landfalls, four of which were at this strength. Irma made landfall as a Cat 4 hurricane in the Florida Keys and struck southwestern Florida as a Category 3 on the same day, according to NOAA. “Irma” was replaced with “Idalia.”

“Irma caused 44 direct deaths as a result of its strong winds, heavy rain and high surf. In the U.S., seven direct deaths were reported, and an additional 85 indirect deaths occurred, 80 of which were in Florida. Hundreds more were injured preparing for the storm, during it or in its aftermath,” the NOAA wrote.

Ian (2022) — The most recent hurricane name to be retired is none other than “Ian.” The hurricane battered Florida’s southwest coast in 2022, causing more than 150 fatalities and over $112 billion in damage. It is currently the costliest hurricane in Florida history and the third costliest in the country.

Oddly enough, the letter “I” is the most retired letter when it comes to hurricane names. Since the retirement practice began in 1954, the WMO has retired 13 “I” names.