Of the storms so far, which do you think will be retired...?

[Anonymous]

Ivan already has made landfall as a major hurricane. Are we forgetting what just happened 3 hours ago?

Do they count Countries outside the US for Retirement? I know its bad for these areas to get hit by a major but they seem to have much less damage when hit--like they are used to it and have far better building codes than the US when it comes to canes. Just wonderring

[Stephanie]

We already know Frances will never be used again. Charely for sure...no idea if Ivan will be a major at landfall.

I didn't know that about Frances.

Definately Charley and it depends on where Ivan hits and at what strength before I make up my mind about Ivan (like everyone else ).

[Brent]

Ivan already has made landfall as a major hurricane. Are we forgetting what just happened 3 hours ago?

Do they count Countries outside the US for Retirement? I know its bad for these areas to get hit by a major but they seem to have much less damage when hit--like they are used to it and have far better building codes than the US when it comes to canes. Just wonderring

Yes. I can think of just a couple from 1995 that hit the Leeward and Virgin Islands and were retired: Luis and Marilyn. Iris(2001) was retired and it hit Belize, never touching the U.S. Mitch hit as a Cat 5 down in Central America and killed 10,000 and was retired. When it got to Florida it was only a weak tropical storm.

I'm sure there are others...

[Derek Ortt]

yeah,

Juan was retired for Canadian landfall and at least half of the hurricanes that have been retired are for non us landfall events

It is the WMO (United Nations) that retires the names, not the USA

[AussieMark]

Ivan already has made landfall as a major hurricane. Are we forgetting what just happened 3 hours ago?

Do they count Countries outside the US for Retirement? I know its bad for these areas to get hit by a major but they seem to have much less damage when hit--like they are used to it and have far better building codes than the US when it comes to canes. Just wonderring

NON US Hurricanes to be retired.

1955 - Janet (Windward Islands and Mexico)
1961 - Hattie (Belize)
1963 - Flora (Haiti and Cuba)
1966 - Inez (Leeward Islands, Hispaniola, Cuba, Mexico) affected keys as a cat 1
1974 - Carmen (Mexico; minimal effects on US)
1974 - Fifi (Central America)
1977 - ANita (Mexico)
1988 - Gilbert (Leewards, Jamaica, Mexico)
1988 - Joan (Nicaragua)
1990 - Diane (Mexico)
1990 - Klaus (Leewards)
1995 - Luis (NE Leewards)
1995 - Marilyn (Virgin Islands)
1995 - Roxanne (Mexico)
1996 - Cesar (Nicaragua)
1998 - Mitch (Central America)
1999 - Lenny (Virgin Islands)
2000 - Keith (Belize and Mexico)
2001 - Iris (Belize)
2001 - Michelle (Cuba)
2003 - Fabian (Bermuda)
2003 - Juan (Canada)

[Canelaw99]

Has there ever been a Hurricane Heather???

[HurricaneBill]

Here are the retired storms since they started using names.

Note: The peak category does not represent the strongest landfall. It represents how strong the storm got during its life)

(Year) (Storm) (Peak category)

1954 Hurricane Carol (Category 2)

1954 Hurricane Edna (Category 3)

1954 Hurricane Hazel (Category 4)

1955 Hurricane Connie (Category 4)

1955 Hurricane Diane (Category 3)

1955 Hurricane Ione (Category 3)

1955 Hurricane Janet (Category 5) (no US hurricane landfall)

1957 Hurricane Audrey (Category 4)

1959 Hurricane Gracie (Category 4)

1960 Hurricane Donna (Category 5)

1961 Hurricane Carla (Category 5)

1961 Hurricane Hattie (Category 5) (no US hurricane landfall)

1963 Hurricane Flora (Category 4) (no US hurricane landfall)

1964 Hurricane Cleo (Category 4)

1964 Hurricane Dora (Category 3)

1964 Hurricane Hilda (Category 4)

1965 Hurricane Betsy (Category 4)

1966 Hurricane Inez (Category 4)

1967 Hurricane Beulah (Category 5)

1969 Hurricane Camille (Category 5)

1970 Hurricane Celia (Category 3)

1972 Hurricane Agnes (Category 1)

1974 Hurricane Carmen (Category 4)

1974 Hurricane Fifi (Category 2) (no US hurricane landfall)

1975 Hurricane Eloise (Category 3)

1977 Hurricane Anita (Category 5) (no US hurricane landfall)

1979 Hurricane David (Category 5)

1979 Hurricane Frederic (Category 3)

1980 Hurricane Allen (Category 5)

1983 Hurricane Alicia (Category 3)

1985 Hurricane Elena (Category 3)

1985 Hurricane Gloria (Category 4)

1988 Hurricane Gilbert (Category 5) (no US hurricane landfall)

1988 Hurricane Joan (Category 4) (no US hurricane landfall)

1989 Hurricane Hugo (Category 5)

1990 Hurricane Diana (Category 2) (no US hurricane landfall)

1990 Hurricane Klaus (Category 1) (no US hurricane landfall)

1991 Hurricane Bob (Category 3)

1992 Hurricane Andrew (Category 5)

1995 Hurricane Luis (Category 4) (no US hurricane landfall)

1995 Hurricane Marilyn (Category 3) (no US hurricane landfall)

1995 Hurricane Opal (Category 4)

1995 Hurricane Roxanne (Category 3) (no US hurricane landfall)

1996 Hurricane Cesar (Category 1) (no US hurricane landfall)

1996 Hurricane Fran (Category 3)

1996 Hurricane Hortense (Category 4) (no US hurricane landfall)

1998 Hurricane Georges (Category 4)

1998 Hurricane Mitch (Category 5) (no US hurricane landfall)

1999 Hurricane Floyd (Category 4)

1999 Hurricane Lenny (Category 4) (no US hurricane landfall)

2000 Hurricane Keith (Category 4) (no US hurricane landfall)

2001 Tropical Storm Allison

2001 Hurricane Iris (Category 4) (no US hurricane landfall)

2001 Hurricane Michelle (Category 4) (no US hurricane landfall)

2002 Hurricane Isidore (Category 3) (no US hurricane landfall)

2002 Hurricane Lili (Category 4)

2003 Hurricane Fabian (Category 4) (no US hurricane landfall)

2003 Hurricane Isabel (Category 5)

2003 Hurricane Juan (Category 2) (no US hurricane landfall)

2004 Hurricane Charley (Category 4)

2004 Hurricane Frances (Category 4)

[HurricaneBill]

Has there ever been a Hurricane Heather???

Yes, in the EPAC in 1977.

[Canelaw99]

Can I request one in the Atlantic? I'd like to be a storm

[senorpepr]

? Does a cat 4 or 5 (especially 5) have to make landfall as such before being retired?

Yes. See ColdFront77's post above. If it affects nobody (or hardly anyone) and causes little/no damage, it will not be retired.

[senorpepr]

I didn't know that about Frances.

Actually, Frances was retired before the season started, thanks to France.

[mdlemin]

Charley and Frances would be obvious. This has been a very chaotic hurricane season to say the least. I have a bad feeling in my gut about Ivan because of that. However, I and no one else knows for sure what it will do.