Within the Pacific Ocean, the name of any significant tropical cyclone can be retired from the tropical cyclone naming lists by the World Meteorological Organization if it concludes that a storm was so deadly or damaging that any future use of that name would be inappropriate. Storm names can also be retired for other reasons, such as being deemed politically insensitive. Within the Eastern Pacific and Central Pacific basins (between 140°W and the western coast of North America and between the International Date Line (180°) and 140°W, respectively, and north of the Equator), a total of 21 names have been retired from the official lists. [1] The deadliest system to have its name retired was Hurricane Pauline, which caused over 230 fatalities when it struck Mexico during October 1997, while the costliest hurricane was Hurricane Otis which caused an economic impact of over $12 billion in October 2023. Dora and Otis were the most recent Pacific tropical cyclones to have their names retired. [2]
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In 1950 a tropical cyclone that affected Hawaii was named Able, after a tropical cyclone had not affected Hawaii for a number of years. The system subsequently became widely known as Hurricane Hiki, since Hiki is Hawaiian for Able. [3] [4] Typhoons Olive and Della of 1952 and 1957, respectively, developed within the Central Pacific, but were not named until they had crossed the International Dateline and moved into the Western Pacific basin. [3] [5] During 1957, two other tropical cyclones developed in the Central Pacific and were named Kanoa and Nina by the Hawaiian military meteorological offices. [5] It was subsequently decided that future tropical cyclones would be named by borrowing names from the Western Pacific naming lists. [6]
Within the Eastern Pacific basin the naming of tropical cyclones started in 1960, with four sets of female names initially designed to be used consecutively before being repeated. [7] [8] In 1965 after two lists of names had been used, it was decided to return to the top of the second list and to start recycling the sets of names on an annual basis. [8] [9] In 1977 after protests by various women's rights groups, NOAA made the decision to relinquish control over the name selection by allowing a regional committee of the WMO to select new sets of names. [10] The WMO selected six lists of names which contained male names and rotated every six years. [10] They also decided that the new lists of hurricane names would start to be used in 1978 which was a year earlier than the Atlantic. [11] Since 1978 the same lists of names have been used, with names of significant tropical cyclones removed from the lists and replaced with new names. [8]
During 1979, after ten names had been borrowed from the Western Pacific naming lists, Hawaiian names were reinstated for tropical cyclones developing into tropical storms forming in the Central Pacific. [9] Five sets of Hawaiian names, using only the 12 letters of the Hawaiian alphabet, were drafted with the intent being to use the sets of names on an annual rotation basis. [9] However, after no storms had developed in this region between 1979 and 1981, the annual lists were scrapped and replaced with four sets of names and designed to be used consecutively. [9] [12] Ahead of the 2007 hurricane season, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) and the Hawaii State Civil Defense requested that the hurricane committee retire eleven names from the Eastern Pacific naming lists. [13] However, the committee declined the request and noted that its criteria for the retirement of names was "well defined and very strict." [14] It was felt that while the systems may have had a significant impact on the Hawaiian Islands, none of the impacts were major enough to warrant the retirement of the names. [14] It was also noted that the committee had previously not retired names for systems that had a greater impact than those that had been submitted. [14] The CPHC also introduced a revised set of Hawaiian names for the Central Pacific, after they had worked with the University of Hawaii Hawaiian Studies Department to ensure the correct meaning and appropriate historical and cultural use of the names. [13] [15]
The practice of retiring significant names was started during 1955 by the United States Weather Bureau in the Atlantic basin, after hurricanes Carol, Edna, and Hazel struck the Northeastern United States and caused a significant amount of damage in the previous year. [16] Initially the names were only designed to be retired for ten years after which they might be reintroduced, however, it was decided at the 1969 Interdepartmental hurricane conference that any significant hurricane in the future would have its name permanently retired. [16] [17] Several names have been removed from the Pacific naming lists for various reasons other than for causing a significant amount of death/destruction, which include being pronounced in a very similar way to other names and for political reasons. [18] [19] [20]
In the Eastern Pacific basin (between 140°W and the western coast of North America), 17 names have been retired as of 2024. [2] [19] Prior to the start of the modern naming lists in 1978, the names Hazel and Adele were retired from the list of names for reasons that are not clear. [18] The name Fico was subsequently retired after the system had affected Hawaii in 1978, while the name Knut was removed after being used in 1987 for unknown reasons having barely reaching tropical storm strength. [18] In 1989 the name Iva was removed as it was pronounced very similarly to Iwa, which was retired from the Central Pacific lists of names in 1982 after affecting Hawaii. [20] In the early 1990s the names Fefa and Ismael were both retired after they affected Hawaii and Northern Mexico, respectively. [18] Hurricane Pauline became the deadliest Eastern Pacific hurricane, and its name was retired after it affected Mexico in 1997. [18]
Political considerations prompted retirement of the name Adolph and removal of the name Israel [nb 1] at the start of the 2001 season, after controversy arose over their use. [19] [21] [22] The name Kenna was retired in 2003 after it became one of the most intense Pacific hurricanes ever recorded. The name Alma was retired in 2009 after it had become the first Eastern Pacific tropical cyclone on record to make landfall along the Pacific Coast of Central America. [23] The name Manuel was retired in 2013, after it became the first Eastern Pacific tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in mainland Mexico, redevelop over water, and become a hurricane. [24] At the 2015 hurricane committee meeting the name Odile was retired from the list of names after it became the first major hurricane to affect Baja California in 25 years. [25] [26] At that same meeting, the name Isis—last used during the 2004 season—was preemptively removed from the list of names for 2016; it was deemed inappropriate to be used because of the Islamic extremist militant group which was then called by the same name. [25]
Name | Dates active | Peak classification | Sustained wind speeds | Pressure | Areas affected | Damage (USD) | Deaths | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hazel | September 24 – 26, 1965 | Tropical storm | 60 mph (95 km/h) | 986 hPa (29.12 inHg) | Mexico | $10 million | 6 | [27] |
Adele | May 30 – June 7, 1970 | Category 1 hurricane | 85 mph (140 km/h) | ≤992 hPa (29.29 inHg) | None | None | None | [28] |
Fico | July 9 – 28, 1978 | Category 4 hurricane | 145 mph (220 km/h) | 955 hPa (28.20 inHg) | Hawaii | $200,000 | None | [29] |
Knut | August 28 – 30, 1987 | Tropical storm | 40 mph (65 km/h) | Not Specified | None | None | None | [30] |
Iva | August 5 – 13, 1988 | Category 2 hurricane | 105 mph (165 km/h) | 968 hPa (28.59 inHg) | None | None | None | [31] |
Fefa | July 29 – August 8, 1991 | Category 3 hurricane | 120 mph (195 km/h) | 959 hPa (28.32 inHg) | Hawaii | None | None | |
Ismael | September 12 – 16, 1995 | Category 1 hurricane | 80 mph (130 km/h) | 983 hPa (29.03 inHg) | Northern Mexico | $26 million | 116 | |
Pauline | October 5 – 10, 1997 | Category 4 hurricane | 130 mph (215 km/h) | 948 hPa (27.99 inHg) | Oaxaca, Guerrero | $448 million | 230-400 | |
Adolph | May 25 – June 1, 2001 | Category 4 hurricane | 145 mph (230 km/h) | 940 hPa (27.76 inHg) | Western Mexico | None | None | [32] |
Kenna | October 22 – 26, 2002 | Category 5 hurricane | 165 mph (270 km/h) | 913 hPa (26.96 inHg) | Western Mexico, Southwestern United States | $101 million | 4 | [33] [34] |
Isis [nb 2] | September 8 – 16, 2004 | Category 1 hurricane | 75 mph (120 km/h) | 987 hPa (29.15 inHg) | None | None | None | [35] |
Alma | May 29 – 30, 2008 | Tropical storm | 65 mph (100 km/h) | 994 hPa (29.35 inHg) | Nicaragua | $33 million | 9 | [36] |
Manuel | September 13 – 19, 2013 | Category 1 hurricane | 75 mph (120 km/h) | 983 hPa (29.03 inHg) | Western Mexico | $4.2 billion | 123 | [37] |
Odile | September 10 – 18, 2014 | Category 4 hurricane | 140 mph (220 km/h) | 918 hPa (27.11 inHg) | Baja California Peninsula | $1.22 billion | 15 | [26] |
Patricia | October 20 – 24, 2015 | Category 5 hurricane | 215 mph (345 km/h) | 872 hPa (25.75 inHg) | Central America, Mexico, Texas | $460 million | 13 | [38] |
Dora | July 31 – August 12, 2023 | Category 4 hurricane | 150 mph (240 km/h) | 939 hPa (27.73 inHg) | Hawaii | None | None | – |
Otis | October 22 – 25, 2023 | Category 5 hurricane | 165 mph (270 km/h) | 922 hPa (27.23 inHg) | Guerrero | $12 billion | 52 | – |
17 names | $18.5 billion | 616 |
In the Central Pacific basin (between the International Date Line (180°) and 140°W), four names have been retired as of 2024. [19] Hurricanes Iwa and Iniki were retired after impacting Hawaii, while Paka and Ioke were retired after affecting various islands in Micronesia. [40]
Name | Dates active | Peak classification | Sustained wind speeds | Pressure | Areas affected | Damage (USD) | Deaths | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iwa | November 19 – 25, 1982 | Category 1 hurricane | 150 km/h (90 mph) | 968 hPa (28.59 inHg) | Hawaii | $312 million | 4 | [41] [42] [43] |
Iniki | September 5 – 13, 1992 | Category 4 hurricane | 230 km/h (145 mph) | 938 hPa (27.70 inHg) | Hawaii | $3.1 billion | 6 | [44] [45] |
Paka | November 28 – December 23, 1997 | Category 5 super typhoon | 295 km/h (185 mph) | 920 hPa (27.17 inHg) | Marshall Islands, Guam, Mariana Islands | $584 million | None | [nb 3] [46] |
Ioke | August 20 – September 9, 2006 | Category 5 hurricane | 260 km/h (160 mph) | 915 hPa (27.02 inHg) | Johnston Atoll, Wake Island | $88 million | None | [47] |
4 names | $4.08 billion | 10 |
Letter | Number of retired names | Retired names | Last addition |
---|---|---|---|
A | 3 | Adele, Adolph, Alma | Alma (2008) |
B | 0 | / | / |
C | 0 | / | / |
D | 1 | Dora | 2023 |
E | 0 | / | / |
F | 2 | Fico, Fefa | Fefa (1991) |
G | 0 | / | / |
H | 1 | Hazel | 1965 |
I | 6 | Iwa, Iva, Inkini, Ismael, Isis, Ioke | Ioke (2006) |
J | 0 | / | / |
K | 2 | Knut, Kenna | Kenna (2002) |
L | 0 | / | / |
M | 1 | Manuel | 2013 |
N | 0 | / | / |
O | 2 | Odile, Otis | Otis (2023) |
P | 3 | Pauline, Paka, Patricia | Patricia (2015) |
R | 0 | / | / |
S | 0 | / | / |
T | 0 | / | / |
V | 0 | / | / |
W | 0 | / | / |
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th parallel north in the northeast Pacific Ocean and the 31st parallel north in the northern Atlantic Ocean. The agency, which is co-located with the Miami branch of the National Weather Service, is situated on the campus of Florida International University in University Park, Miami, Florida.
Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the event of concurrent storms in the same basin. Once storms develop sustained wind speeds of more than 33 knots, names are generally assigned to them from predetermined lists, depending on the basin in which they originate. Some tropical depressions are named in the Western Pacific, while tropical cyclones must contain a significant amount of gale-force winds before they are named in the Southern Hemisphere.
Hurricane Iwa, taken from the Hawaiian language name for the frigatebird, was at the time the costliest hurricane to affect the state of Hawaiʻi. Iwa was the twenty-third tropical storm and the twelfth and final hurricane of the 1982 Pacific hurricane season. It developed from an active trough of low pressure near the equator on November 19. The storm moved erratically northward until becoming a hurricane on November 23 when it began accelerating to the northeast in response to strong upper-level flow from the north. Iwa passed within 25 miles of the island of Kauaʻi with peak winds of 90 mph (140 km/h) on November 23, and the next day it became extratropical to the northeast of the state.
The 2003 Pacific hurricane season was the first season to feature no major hurricanes since 1977. The season officially began on May 15, 2003 in the Eastern North Pacific, and on June 1 in the Central ; both ended on November 30. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most tropical cyclogenesis occurs in these regions of the Pacific. The season featured 16 tropical storms, 7 of which intensified into hurricanes, which was then considered an average season. Damage across the basin reached US$129 million, and 23 people were killed by the storms.
A Pacific hurricane is a tropical cyclone that develops within the northeastern and central Pacific Ocean to the east of 180°W, north of the equator. For tropical cyclone warning purposes, the northern Pacific is divided into three regions: the eastern, central, and western, while the southern Pacific is divided into 2 sections, the Australian region and the southern Pacific basin between 160°E and 120°W. Identical phenomena in the western north Pacific are called typhoons. This separation between the two basins has a practical convenience, however, as tropical cyclones rarely form in the central north Pacific due to high vertical wind shear, and few cross the dateline.
Traditionally, areas of tropical cyclone formation are divided into seven basins. These include the north Atlantic Ocean, the eastern and western parts of the northern Pacific Ocean, the southwestern Pacific, the southwestern and southeastern Indian Oceans, and the northern Indian Ocean. The western Pacific is the most active and the north Indian the least active. An average of 86 tropical cyclones of tropical storm intensity form annually worldwide, with 47 reaching hurricane/typhoon strength, and 20 becoming intense tropical cyclones, super typhoons, or major hurricanes.
The Hurricane Databases (HURDAT), managed by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), are two separate databases that contain details on tropical cyclones that have occurred within the Atlantic Ocean and Eastern Pacific Ocean since 1851 and 1949 respectively.
In meteorology, an invest is a designated area of disturbed weather that is being monitored for potential tropical cyclone development. Invests are designated by three separate United States forecast centers: the National Hurricane Center, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Hurricane Ekeka was the most intense off-season tropical cyclone on record in the northeastern Pacific basin. The first storm of the 1992 Pacific hurricane season, Ekeka developed on January 28 well to the south of Hawaii. It gradually intensified to reach major hurricane status on February 2, although it subsequently began to weaken due to unfavorable high wind shear. It crossed the International Date Line as a weakened tropical storm, and shortly thereafter degraded to tropical depression status. Ekeka continued westward, passing through the Marshall Islands and later over Chuuk State, before dissipating on February 9 about 310 miles (500 km) off the north coast of Papua New Guinea. The storm did not cause any significant damage or deaths.
The practice of using names to identify tropical cyclones goes back several centuries, with storms named after places, saints or things they hit before the formal start of naming in each basin. Examples of such names are the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane and the 1938 New England hurricane. The system currently in place provides identification of tropical cyclones in a brief form that is easily understood and recognized by the public. The credit for the first usage of personal names for weather systems is given to the Queensland Government Meteorologist Clement Wragge, who named tropical cyclones and anticyclones between 1887 and 1907. This system of naming fell into disuse for several years after Wragge retired, until it was revived in the latter part of World War II for the Western Pacific. Over the following decades, formal naming schemes were introduced for several tropical cyclone basins, including the North and South Atlantic, Eastern, Central, Western and Southern Pacific basins as well as the Australian region and Indian Ocean.
The 2013 Pacific hurricane season was an above average Pacific hurricane season with 21 tropical cyclones forming. Of these, 20 became named storms – 18 in the Eastern Pacific basin, and 2 in the Central Pacific basin. Of the 18 named storms in the east, 9 became hurricanes, with one, Raymond, becoming the season's only major hurricane. In the central, neither named storm became a hurricane. It was also a below-normal season in terms of Accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), as many of its systems were weak and short-lived. The season officially began on May 15 in the Eastern Pacific and started on June 1 in the Central Pacific; both ended on November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical development occurs in these North Pacific basins. The first cyclone, Tropical Storm Alvin, formed on May 15, and the last, Tropical Storm Sonia, dissipated on November 4. It was below average only Category 3 storm was since 1981.
Hurricane Genevieve, also referred to as Typhoon Genevieve, was the first tropical cyclone to track across all three northern Pacific basins since Hurricane Dora in 1999. Genevieve developed from a tropical wave into the eighth tropical storm of the 2014 Pacific hurricane season well east-southeast of Hawaii on July 25. However, increased vertical wind shear caused it to weaken into a tropical depression by the following day and degenerate into a remnant low on July 28. Late on July 29, the system regenerated into a tropical depression, but it weakened into a remnant low again on July 31, owing to vertical wind shear and dry air.
During 2014, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, a total of 117 tropical cyclones had formed this year to date. 79 tropical cyclones had been named by either a Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) or a Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC). The most active basin in 2014 was the Western Pacific, which documented 23 named systems, while the Eastern Pacific, despite only amounting to 22 named systems, was its basin's most active since 1992. Conversely, both the North Atlantic hurricane and North Indian Ocean cyclone had a below average season numbering 9 and 3, respectively. Activity across the southern hemisphere's three basins—South-West Indian, Australian, and South Pacific—was spread evenly, with each region recording seven named storms apiece. So far, 26 Category 3 tropical cyclones formed, including ten Category 5 tropical cyclones in the year, becoming as the third-most intense tropical cyclone activity on record, only behind with 1997 and 2018. The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index for the 2014, as calculated by Colorado State University (CSU) was 724 units.
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