Four names from the 2024 hurricane season – Beryl, Helene, Milton, and John – were so devastating and deadly that they will no longer be used to name future tropical storms or hurricanes in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins. The decision to retire these names was made during the annual meeting of the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) hurricane committee held this week. This committee, not the U.S. National Hurricane Center, is responsible for determining the tropical cyclone name lists.
Tropical storm and hurricane names in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Basins are rotated every six years, unless a storm is particularly severe, in which case its name is retired to avoid confusion or insensitivity. Names like Harvey, Ian, Katrina, Maria, or Sandy, associated with infamous storms, are not reused to name future storms.
Beryl, Helene, and Milton will be replaced by Brianna, Holly, and Miguel in the 2030 Atlantic hurricane season, while John will be replaced by Jake in the 2030 Eastern Pacific hurricane season. The 2024 retired storms caused a total of $122.6 billion in damages and claimed 388 lives.
Hurricane Beryl, for example, was the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record, causing extensive damage in Grenada, Mexico, and the U.S. Hurricane Helene made a record-strong landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region, resulting in significant flooding and power outages. Hurricane Milton tied records for minimum pressure and brought destructive storms and tornadoes to Florida.
These retired names serve as a reminder of the destructive power of hurricanes and the importance of preparedness and response efforts in the face of such natural disasters.
Hurricane John’s Impact in Mexico- Hurricane John caused an estimated $34.3 billion in damage in Mexico. The exact figure is uncertain due to some areas being previously affected by Hurricane Helene. Key points about Hurricane John include:
– First landfall occurred on Sept. 23 as a Category 3 hurricane in Guerrero state, Mexico.
– After weakening to a remnant low, it regained strength and made a final landfall as a tropical storm on Sept. 27 in Michoacán state.
– Acapulco reported up to 56.8 inches of rain, following its previous battering by Hurricane Otis.
– The storm led to widespread flooding and mudslides, with twenty-nine deaths reported in Mexico, twenty-three of which were in Guerrero state.
– The estimated damage from Gallagher was $2.45 billion, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Retired Atlantic Hurricane Names and Facts- Since 1953, 99 Atlantic tropical cyclone names have been retired, including recent names like Fiona, Ian, Ida, Laura, Dorian, Florence, Michael, Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate.
– Only 20 seasons have not had any names retired, with the most recent being in 2023.
– Names beginning with the letter “I” have been retired the most, totaling 13 retirements, as these storms often form during the most active and impactful months.
– All of the top 34 costliest U.S. hurricanes have had their names retired, each causing at least $9.3 billion in damage.
– In 2021, it was decided to retire the use of the Greek alphabet for naming storms beyond the 21 names on the list. The 22nd storm in a season will now be named “Adria” from a supplemental list.
Retirement of Hurricane Names- Hurricane John is the 22nd Eastern Pacific hurricane name to be retired since 1965.
– Eastern Pacific storms tend to move westward into the open ocean and weaken, rather than making landfall as intense hurricanes.
– This marks the second consecutive year with at least one Eastern Pacific name being retired, following the retirements of Dora and Otis in the 2023 season.
