By Ashley Williams, AccuWeather staff writer
Frances, Otto, Gustav and Charley each share a common trait: they are among 82 deadly and destructive Atlantic hurricanes whose names will never be re-used.
Since the official naming system began in 1954, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has rotated storm names every seventh year, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).The names of particularly lethal or costly storms, such as 1989’s Hurricane Hugo, are replaced by the WMO Tropical Cyclone Committees.
“There’s a factor there in which they’re afraid if they use the name again that it will spark old memories [among people who’ve experienced the storm],” said AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.
Three or more names were retired during certain years including 1995, 2004 and 2005, which suggested higher-than-normal activity, according to NHC Hurricane Specialist Eric Blake.
“Those years tended to have very warm tropical Atlantic waters and low shear in the Caribbean Sea and tropical Atlantic,” said Blake.
Shear is the variation in wind speed or direction over a short distance within the atmosphere.
Below are 10 of the most catastrophic hurricanes, in terms of damage and/or loss of life, whose names have been retired.
Agnes (1972)
Agnes, one of the largest-ever hurricanes in June, still ranks among the 10 costliest hurricanes to impact the United States.
It drenched Northeastern states including Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey with up to 19 inches of rain.
The resulting severe flooding claimed most of the 122 lives taken by the $16 billion hurricane.
Andrew (1992)
The third-most intense U.S. hurricane on record killed 26 people, pummeling the Bahamas and South Florida as a Category 4 storm.
A 17-foot storm surge impacted Florida, while storm tides of 8 feet inundated parts of Louisiana’s coast, according to the NHC. Andrew resulted in $26.5 billion in damage.
Audrey (1957)
As the only June Category 4 storm ever recorded, Audrey produced tremendous devastation as it barreled into the border of Texas and Louisiana.
According to the NHC, Audrey’s storm surges reached heights of 12 feet, penetrating as far as 25 miles inland over Louisiana. More than 390 people were killed.
Camille (1969)
In August of 1969, Camille rapidly intensified from a Category 3 to a Category 5 by the time it pounded Mississippi’s coast with powerful 200-mph winds.
Strong winds, lethal storm surge, heavy rainfall and catastrophic flooding resulted in 256 deaths in the U.S.
Irene (2011)
Irene caused phenomenal flood and wind damage through the Caribbean, the eastern coast of the U.S. and parts of Canada in August of 2011. More than 17 inches of rain was recorded in some areas.
The storm left more than 3 million people without power, damaged homes, downed trees and eroded beaches in its wake.
Before making landfall in North Carolina as a Category 1 storm, Irene spawned several tornadoes. Forty-five people died.
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Katrina (2005)
More than 1,800 people died during Katrina, the costliest and most destructive U.S. hurricane on record. Catastrophic damage totaled an estimated $75 billion in New Orleans and along Mississippi’s coast.
Storm surge caused flooding up to 28 feet along parts of Mississippi’s coast and several miles inland. It breached levees and inundated a large portion of New Orleans.
Matthew (2016)
Hurricane Matthew reached Category 5 intensity at the lowest latitude ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin. It first made landfall as a major Category 4 hurricane along the coasts of southwestern Haiti, eastern Cuba and western Grand Bahama Island.
It was the first October hurricane since 1954’s Hazel to make landfall in the U.S. north of Florida.
It struck along South Carolina’s central coast as a weakened Category 1 storm. Heavy rainfall totals reached more than 17 inches in Savannah, Georgia. Matthew inflicted more than $10 billion in damage and killed 585 people.
Rita (2005)
The deadly Hurricane Rita was the third Category 5 storm of 2005. It ravaged parts of southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana with devastating storm surge flooding and wind damage. The Florida Keys were also impacted.
Rita drenched Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas with up to 15 inches of rain and spawned about 90 tornadoes. It caused $10 billion in damage and seven deaths.
Sandy (2012)
The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season’s 18th named storm caused substantial damage upon landfall along New Jersey’s coast on Oct. 29.
Despite its weakened tropical-storm status, Sandy’s massive storm surge caused record tide levels and created $50 billion in damage in the U.S., including parts of New Jersey, Connecticut and eastern New York.
At least 147 people died.
Wilma (2005)
Wilma, one of the Atlantic Basin’s strongest-ever hurricanes, made initial landfall with Category 4 strength over Cozumel, Mexico, in October of 2005.
After weakening in the Gulf of Mexico to a Category 2, it later intensified and accelerated toward southern Florida, where it spawned 10 tornadoes.
Wilma’s widespread damage cost an $16.8 billion and killed 22 people, according to the NHC.
Danny Gilliam ·
We lived through Rita & had to clean up after it. Good riddance!
Rosemary Newman ·
Works at Retired
Isabel crashed a gigantic oak tree through my roof. I won't miss her.
Ami Campbell ·
My house was destroyed by Charley in 2004. Rebuilding was a royal pain, Its a learning experience I wouldnt wish on a enemy
Debbie Anderson ·
I was stationed at Biloxi AFB in 1972 and the damage from Camille was still evident!
Vivi Lafter
Charlie the sneaky monster, jumped Tampa and hit us on the east side!! got us good at the river, east 50
Ian H McLeod ·
I remember hurricane Hazel.I was 8 years old.
Michael David Heller ·
Didn't
know Matthew was retired, weathered that storm in longs,sc last year,
thankfully the spot I was at had some elevation, the surrounding area
tho saw add sporadic flooding that closed access to many roads in the
area.
Doug Aranda ·
I
knew Agnes had to be on the list. What people don't remember is there
was flooding in the week before she even got here. When she came in it
was all over in Corning NY. It was a perfect setup for destruction.
Anne Witkowski ·
That
one washed out the trails in the gorges in Ithaca that had been there
for decades, I started school there that fall. One of the girls in my
dorm had been flooded in Wyoming Valley, PA.
Doug Aranda ·
Anne Witkowski It was very widespread in NY and Pa.
Darlene Elliott ·
Works at Self-Employed
Andrew i can remember vividly ....
Dale Williams ·
What about Betsy, I lived through that one. The eye went right over my house.
Ann E. Huizenga
I had heard Eloise was retired. I was in that hurricane and it was horrendous.
Andy Henry ·
Owner at FarmVille 2
Me
too, lived in Puerto Rico at the time - 26 inches of rain in 24 hours,
20-ton boulders set 80 feet up hillsides from wave action...
Ann E. Huizenga
Andy
Henry I was in college in Tennessee at the time. While I can't
remember the amount of rain we got, the storm was still intense enough
that far inland to kill a bunch of people.
Susan Rose Zambella ·
Works at Retired
Ive NEVER seen the name SUSAN used! Suzie, Sue....and it makes me mad. I look year after year and NO SUSAN!!!! What the heck????
Sharon Rojas ·
And I have never seen them use Sharon
Thomas R Engel
Simple
logic says that eventually they will run out of names as names are
retired. So, do they have plans to revie old names after 50, 75, or 100
years? Plus it's more dignified if, say, an Agnes of 1972 (which I
remember--it's why there is no Erie-Lackawanna RR for instance) got
renamed "The Great Hurricane of 1972" and the name got reused after a
few years. In my youth newspaper writers and radio announcers always
had tacky stories about why hurricanes were named and sexist stories
about why they were only female names; early on I learned about dumb
cliches from journalists. Back in older times storms had better names,
The Great Hurricane of 1938, The Portland Gale (1898; the steamer
Portland disappeared during it), The Great Hurricane of 1815/September
Gale (which was the storm that convinced scientists that hurricanes were
giant whirlpools). Now every storm seems to get a name; we'll soon
have a Heavy Dew named Harold!
Emerson Dickey ·
Works at Retired
So
true. The first "Storm" this year would never have been noticed in the
50's. With satellites we can now see any cloud out there. Two clouds
and you get a name!
And then we can talk about how much worse the weather is. Sorry - I grew up in the 50's and my dad was a meteologist with the US Weather Bureau. I remember the weather then. He is laughing in his grave....
And then we can talk about how much worse the weather is. Sorry - I grew up in the 50's and my dad was a meteologist with the US Weather Bureau. I remember the weather then. He is laughing in his grave....
Sonja Yagel ·
I am suprised the name Hazel wasn't retired. I well remember the storm in 1954 and she was very destructive to North Carolina
Kathy Pisapia
The
name Hazel actually was retired (it's on NHC's page.) This list is not
exhaustive; they've only included 10 out of the 82 retired names.
Susan Rose Zambella ·
Works at Retired
Yea,
they say names dont get used again, but they do. I look at the lists
every year and they have repeat names.....but NEVER SUSAN!!!! Makes me
mad!
Sharon Stroud Broussard
Susan Rose Zambella ...um, you *really* want your name connected to a very destructive and deadly force of nature? wow...
Sonja Yagel ·
Kathy Pisapia Thank you, I thought she ought to be retired, we don't want another Hazel for sure.
Susan Rose Zambella ·
Works at Retired
Just
did, Bob.......one in 1958.....actually the year I was born....and 1978
near Hawaii. I dont recall either one. The one in 58 veered out to sea
and didnt touch any land.
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