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Tropical Storm Data - This Page

n Current Storm Data n Beaufort Wind Scale n Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale n A Storm by Any Other Name n Hurricane Strikes by State n Hurricane Strikes by Decade n Costliest Hurricanes n Deadliest Hurricanes n Powerful Hurricanes n Most Powerful Recorded Cyclones n Largest Recorded Cyclones n Most Notable Atlantic Cyclones n

 

Tropical Storm Names - This Page

n Tropical Cyclone Names n Hurricane Names 1953-59 n Hurricane Names 1960-69 n Hurricane Names 1970-79 n Hurricane Names 1980-on n Retired Atlantic Hurricane Names n

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Other Tropical Storm Resources

n National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) n National Weather Service (NWS) n Main NOAA Hurricane Page n

n NWS National Hurricane Center n AccuWeather Extreme Weather Center n Hurricane Track [Subscriber Service: Live Video] n

 

Other Countries / Regions

n Central Pacific Hurricane Center n Joint Typhoon Warning Center n Canadian Hurricane Centre n National Meteorological Service of Mexico Web Site n National Meteorological Service of Belize Web Site n WMO Severe Weather Info Centre n Other World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Member Country Web Sites n

 

Miscellaneous

n CNN's Interactive Hurricane Tracker n Unysis Weather Storm Tracks n Glossary of NHC/TPC Terms n

n NHC/TPC Acronyms n NOAA-NWS Glossary n Hurricane FAQ's n Latitude / Longitude Distance Calculator n

n Tampa Bay Article: Worst Hurricanes n

n NOAA's Geodetic Survey Hurricane Katrina Images n

n Puerto Rico/US Virgin Islands Hurricane List 1515 to present n

n Data Search Engines: FactBites n NationMaster n

 

Current National Weather Service Hurricane Statements

New Orleans LA n Lake Charles LA n Houston-Galveston TX n Corpus Christi TX n Brownsville TX n Key West FL

If you can't find what you are looking for on this page, it IS available on NOAA's main hurricane page at this link or, for historic or more technical data, at the NWS National Hurricane Center at this link

Hurricane Wilma

Current information, satellite photos [updated every 30 minutes], storm track

Official Emergency Announcement for NOAA's Florida Employees

 

Extensive Reports on

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Rita

 

NWS National Hurricane Center

 

Beaufort Wind Scale

Visual System for Estimating Wind Force Developed Circa 1805

 

Specifications and Equivalent Wind Forces for Land & Sea

History of the Beaufort Wind Scale

 

 

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

Provided by the National Weather Service

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a 1-5 rating based on the hurricane's present intensity. This is used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast from a hurricane landfall. Wind speed is the determining factor in the scale, as storm surge values are highly dependent on the slope of the continental shelf and the shape of the coastline, in the landfall region. Note that all winds are using the U.S. 1-minute average.

Category	Wind Speeds at Eyewall	Sustained Winds [in miles per hour]	Sustained Winds [in knots]	Central Pressure at Surface [in millibars]	Storm Surge [in feet]	Storm Surge [in meters]
1	74 - 95 mph	33 - 42 mph	64 - 82 k	> 980 mb	3 -5 ft	1.0 - 1.7 m
2	96 - 110 mph	43 - 49 mph	83 - 95 k	979 - 965 mb	6 - 8 ft	1.8 - 2.6 m
3	111 - 130 mph	50 - 58 mph	96 - 113 k	964 - 945 mb	9 - 12 ft	2.7 - 3.8 m
4	131 - 155 mph	59 - 69 mph	114 - 135 k	944 - 920 mb	13 - 18 ft	3.9 - 5.6 m
5	156 + mph	70 + mph	136 + k	< 919 mb	19 + ft	5.7 + m

Wind Speed Converter

[opens in a new window]

Category One Hurricane:
Winds 74-95 mph (64-82 kt or 119-153 km/hr). Storm surge generally 4-5 ft above normal. No real damage to building structures. Damage primarily to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Some damage to poorly constructed signs. Also, some coastal road flooding and minor pier damage. Hurricane Lili of 2002 made landfall on the Louisiana coast as a Category One hurricane. Hurricane Gaston of 2004 was a Category One hurricane that made landfall along the central South Carolina coast.

Category Two Hurricane:
Winds 96-110 mph (83-95 kt or 154-177 km/hr). Storm surge generally 6-8 feet above normal. Some roofing material, door, and window damage of buildings. Considerable damage to shrubbery and trees with some trees blown down. Considerable damage to mobile homes, poorly constructed signs, and piers. Coastal and low-lying escape routes flood 2-4 hours before arrival of the hurricane center. Small craft in unprotected anchorages break moorings. Hurricane Frances of 2004 made landfall over the southern end of Hutchinson Island, Florida as a Category Two hurricane. Hurricane Isabel of 2003 made landfall near Drum Inlet on the Outer Banks of North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane.

Category Three Hurricane:
Winds 111-130 mph (96-113 kt or 178-209 km/hr). Storm surge generally 9-12 ft above normal. Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings with a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Damage to shrubbery and trees with foliage blown off trees and large trees blown down. Mobile homes and poorly constructed signs are destroyed. Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by battering from floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 5 ft above mean sea level may be flooded inland 8 miles (13 km) or more. Evacuation of low-lying residences with several blocks of the shoreline may be required. Hurricanes Jeanne and Ivan of 2004 were Category Three hurricanes when they made landfall in Florida and in Alabama, respectively.

Category Four Hurricane:
Winds 131-155 mph (114-135 kt or 210-249 km/hr). Storm surge generally 13-18 ft above normal. More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof structure failures on small residences. Shrubs, trees, and all signs are blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Extensive damage to doors and windows. Low-lying escape routes may be cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Terrain lower than 10 ft above sea level may be flooded requiring massive evacuation of residential areas as far inland as 6 miles (10 km). Hurricane Charley of 2004 was a Category Four hurricane made landfall in Charlotte County, Florida with winds of 150 mph. Hurricane Dennis of 2005 struck the island of Cuba as a Category Four hurricane.

Additional Note: Although Hurricane Katrina reached maximum windspeeds of 175 mph (min air pressure at 902 mb) as it approached the Southern Coast of Louisiana, making it a category 5 hurricane, at landfall over Louisiana's Grand Isle, Katrina's windspeeds had dropped to 140 mph, with a minimum central air pressure of 920 mb (4th lowest in recorded history). Katrina maintained hurricane force winds (cat 2 to cat 1 to tropical storm) as it passed through Mississippi and entered Tennesee.

Category Five Hurricane:
Winds greater than 155 mph (135 kt or 249 km/hr). Storm surge generally greater than 18 ft above normal. Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. All shrubs, trees, and signs blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Severe and extensive window and door damage. Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 ft above sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5-10 miles (8-16 km) of the shoreline may be required. Only 3 Category Five Hurricanes have made landfall in the United States since records began: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Camille (1969), and Hurricane Andrew in August, 1992. The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane struck the Florida Keys with a minimum pressure of 892 mb--the lowest pressure ever observed in the United States. Hurricane Camille struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast causing a 25-foot storm surge, which inundated Pass Christian. Hurricane Andrew of 1992 made landfall over southern Miami-Dade County, Florida causing 26.5 billion dollars in losses--the costliest hurricane on record. In addition, Hurricane Gilbert of 1988 was a Category Five hurricane at peak intensity and is the strongest Atlantic tropical cyclone on record with a minimum pressure of 888 mb.

Additional Note: Hurricane Gilbert did not contact the U.S. mainland or any of it's possessions, but rather affected The Lesser Antilles, Jamaica, and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico

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A Storm By Any Other Name...

Excerpted from NationMaster.com

 

Tropical cyclones are classified into three main groups: (I) tropical depressions, (II) tropical storms, and (III) a third group whose name depends on the region

 

I. Tropical Depression

A tropical depression is an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of less than 17 meters per second (33 knots , 38 mph, or 62 km/h). It has no eye, and does not typically have the spiral shape of more powerful storms

 

II. Tropical Storm

A tropical storm is an organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds between 17 and 33 meters per second (34 to 63 knots, 39 to 73 mph, or 62 to 117 km/h). At this point, the distinctive cyclonic shape starts to develop, though an eye is usually not present

 

III. Hurricane - Typhoon - Severe Tropical Cyclone - Severe Cyclonic Storm

The term used to describe tropical cyclones with maximum sustained winds exceeding 33 meters per second (63 knots / 73 mph / 117 km/h) varies depending on region of origin, as follows:

 

Hurricane

North Atlantic Ocean

North Pacific Ocean East of the Dateline

South Pacific Ocean East of 160 East

 

Typhoon

Northwest Pacific Ocean West of the Dateline

 

Severe Tropical Cyclone

Southwest Pacific Ocean West of 160 E

and

Southeast Indian Ocean East of 90 East

 

Severe Cyclonic Storm

North Indian Ocean

 

Tropical Cyclone

Southwest Indian Ocean

Maximum sustained winds exceeding 33 meters per second (63 knots, 73 mph, or 117 km/h) is the intensity at which tropical cyclones tend to develop an eye, which is an area of relative calm surrounded by the strongest winds of the storm, in the eyewall. The strongest of these storms have had maximum sustained windspeeds recorded at 85 meters per second (165 knot / 190 mph / 305 km/h).

In other places in the world, hurricanes have been called Bagyo in the Philippines, Chubasco in Mexico, and Taino in Haiti

Read the Full Article at NationMaster.com

 

Atlantic Hurricane Strikes by U.S. State (1851-2004)

USE THIS LINK TO VIEW STRIKES BY STATE: U.S. Mainland Hurricane Strikes by State 1851-2004 & Strikes on States by Month

Atlantic Hurricane Strikes on U.S. by Decade (1851-2004)

 

Each table below will most likely have it's own set of links that differ from the other tables (i.e. a link for Hurricane Andrew in one table will most likely differ from the link for Andrew in another table). Where no detailed information is available for a particular storm, general storm season info is available by clicking the date. NO seasonal information is available for the year 1900, although there is a lot of information regarding the great 1900 Galveston Hurricane. Information for 2005 is NOT complete.

Rank	Name	Year	Areas Affected	Category at Landfall*	Cost in Billions
1	Katrina	2005	South Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida Panhandle NOAA Detail	4	200.0 ***
2	Andrew	1992	Florida, Louisiana	5 **	26.5
3	Wilma	2005	Haiti, Jamaica, Yucatan Peninsula Mexico [L1], Cuba, Florida [L2]	5	10.0 ***
4	Hugo	1989	South Carolina, North Carolina	4	9.0
5	Rita	2005	Florida Keys, Texas, Louisiana	3	8.0
6	Floyd	1999	Mid Atlantic States, Northeast U.S.	2	4.5
7	Fran	1996	North Carolina	3	3.2
8	Opal	1995	Guatemala, Yucatan Peninsula, Alabama, Florida Panhandle, Georgia, most of Eastern North America	3	3.0
10	Georges	1998	Florida, Mississippi, Alabama	2	2.31
11	Frederic	1979	Alabama, Mississippi	3	2.3
12	Agnes	1972	Florida, Northeast U.S.	1	2.1
13	Alicia	1983	Texas	3	2.0
14	Bob	1991	North Carolina, Northeast U.S.	2	1.5
15	Juan	1985	Louisiana	1	1.5

Note: Damages are listed in U.S. dollars and are not adjusted for inflation; *Saffir-Simpson Scale: Cat 1 = weak, Cat 5 = devastating - Category show is at storm's peak; **Upgraded in 2002 from Cat 4 to Cat 5 after an additional review of scientific data; ***Estimate

*Saffir-Simpson Scale: Cat 1 = weak, Cat 5 = devastating - Category show is at storm's peak; ^^Estimated; ** The Galveston Hurricane has since been dubbed "Isaac's Storm", a tribute to the weather forecaster who unsuccessfully attempted to warn the public; ^^Total may still rise as debris is removed 4 months after the killer storm

Powerful Hurricanes in U.S. History

Most Intense Hurricanes in the U.S. 1851-2004

Note: Category ranking is for time of landfall, which may or may not reflect highest category achieved before landfall. Landfall is considered to be when the center of the hurricane's "eye" crosses over a barrier island or mainland; *Saffir-Simpson Scale: Cat 1 = weak, Cat 5 = devastating - Category show is at storm's peak; ***Upgraded in 2002 from Cat 4 to Cat 5;

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Most Powerful Tropical Cyclones in Recorded History

as determined by Barometric Pressure [central pressure at surface]

Hurricanes and Typhoons are both Tropical Cyclones. To learn where a tropical cyclone is called a hurricane and where it's called a typhoon, refer to A Storm by Any Other Name. Although the Saffir-Simpson Scale doesn't include a "Category 6", all cyclones in this list would qualify, Typhoon Tip was just short of a hypothetical "Category 7", and The Labor Day Hurricane was a solid hyptothetical "Category 7"

Rank / [U.S. Rank]	Ocean	Storm Type	Official Name / Referred To	Year	Areas Affected / "[L]" Indicates Landfall	Top Wind Speed [Wind Speed at Landfall]	Barometric Pressure [central pressure at surface - in millibars]	Maxiumn Category / [Category at U.S. Landfall]*
1	Pacific	Typhoon	Tip	1979	Japan	190 mph	870 mb	5
2	Atlantic	Hurricane	Wilma	2005	Haiti, Jamaica, Yucatan Peninsula Mexico [L1], Cuba, Florida [L2]	175 mph	882 mb	5 [3]
3 [1]	Atlantic	Hurricane	Gilbert**	1988	Lesser Antilles, Jamaica, Yucatan Peninsula Mexico	184 mph	888 mb	5
4 [2]	Atlantic	Hurricane	unnamed / aka Labor Day Hurricane [U.S.]	1935	Florida Keys, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia	200 mph	892 mb	5 [5]
5 [3]	Atlantic	Hurricane	Rita [U.S.]	2005	Florida Keys, Texas [L], Louisiana^^	175 mph	898 mb	5 [3]
6 [4]	Atlantic	Hurricane	Mitch [U.S.]	1998	Swan Island, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Yucatan Peninsula, South Florida	180 mph	905 mb	5
7 [5]	Atlantic	Hurricane	Camille [U.S.]	1988	Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Southern United States [particularly major flooding in Virginia]	190 mph	909 mb	5 [5]
8 [6]	Atlantic	Hurricane	Katrina (extensive report) [U.S.]	2005	Bahama, South Florida [L1], Louisiana [L2], Mississippi [L2], Alabama, Florida Panhandle [damage spread over 90,000 square miles] NOAA Detail	175 mph [140 mph]	920 mb	5 [1] [4]
9 [7]	Atlantic	Hurricane	Andrew [U.S.]	1992	South Florida [L], Louisiana	165 mph	922 mb	5 [5]
10 [8]	Atlantic	Hurricane	Emily [U.S.]	2005	Grenada, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Yucatan Penninsula Mexico, Texas	155 mph	929 mb	4 [4]
11 [9]	Atlantic	Hurricane	Donna [U.S.]	1960	Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Bahamas, every state on the U.S. East Coast from Florida to Maine, Atlantic Canada [most land areas ever affected by an Atlantic hurricane]	160 mph	930 mb	4
12 [10]	Atlantic	Hurricane	unnamed aka Lake Okeechobee Hurricane [U.S.]	1928	Guadaloupe, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina	160 mph	931 mb	5 [4]
13 [11]	Atlantic	Hurricane	Carla [U.S.]	1961	Texas	150 mph [120 mph]	931 mb	4 [3]
14 [12]	Atlantic	Hurricane	Charley [U.S.]	2004	Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Florida, South Carolina	150 mph	941 mb	4
15 [13]	Pacific	Hurricane	Unnamed / aka Columbus Day Storm [U.S.]	1962	Washington, Oregon, California, British Columbia Canada *** [landfall coast of Oregon at Astoria]	179 mph	958 mb	5
16 [14]	Atlantic	Hurricane	unnamed / aka The Halloween Storm / The Perfect Storm [U.S.]	1991	Northwestern Atlantic, Sable Island, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Nova Scotia Canada	74.6 mph gusts / 49 knots / 56.4 mph sustained	972 mb	1

*Saffir-Simpson Scale: Cat 1 = weak, Cat 5 = devastating - Category show is at storm's peak; **Hurricane Gilbert of 1988 was a Category Five hurricane at peak intensity and is the strongest Atlantic tropical cyclone on record with a minimum pressure of 888 mb. Hurricane Gilbert did not contact the U.S. mainland or any of it's possessions; "MB" = millibars, the lower the number, the more severe; ***The 1962 Columbus Day typhoon made landfall in Oregon near the Washington border. Damaging sustained winds were felt as far East as Spokane WA, and damaging wind gusts were felt as far North as Vancouver BC Canada, and as far South as San Francisco CA;

 

Largest Tropical Cyclones in Recorded History

determined by diameter of hurricane force winds

Rank	Official Name / Referred To / [U.S. strikes noted]	Year	Area Affected	Max Diameter of Tropical Storm Force Winds	Category / [Category at Landfall]*
1	unnamed / aka The Halloween Storm / The Perfect Storm** [U.S.]	1991	Northwestern Atlantic, Sable Island, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Nova Scotia Canada	1000+ miles dia	unkn
2	Gilbert	1988	Lesser Antilles, Jamaica, Yucatan Peninsula Mexico	750-1000 miles dia	5
3	Georges [U.S.]	1998	Puerto Rico, Hispanola, Cuba, Florida Keys, Mississippi, Alabama	400-500 miles dia	2
4	Rita [U.S.]^^	2005	Florida Keys, Texas, Louisiana^^	410 miles dia	5 [3]
5	Mitch [U.S.]	1998	Swan Island, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Yucatan Peninsula Mexico, South Florida	300 miles dia	5
6	Andrew [U.S.]	1992	South Florida, Louisiana	250-300 miles dia	5 [5]***
7	Katrina (extensive report) [U.S.]	2005	South Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida Panhandle NOAA Detail	200 miles dia	5 [4]****

*Saffir-Simpson Scale: Cat 1 = weak, Cat 5 = devastating - Category show is at storm's peak; **The unnamed October 1991 storm was a rare phenomenon. As Hurricane Grace moved North well off the coast of the U.S., it merged with an enormous extratropical "Noreaster" in the North Atlantic. The extratropical storm fed off Hurricane Grace - depleating it - and grew enormous in size to a diameter reaching from Nova Scotia to North Carolina, and consuming half of the North mid-Atlantic. The storm formed a second hurricane within, which was not named to avoid confusion, but would have been "Hurricane Henri". The unnamed hurricane did relatively little damage to the U.S. but is nortorious for taking all souls onboard the fishing vessel Andrea Gail, as well as other souls on land and sea. The Perfect Storm concluded in the North Atlantic North of the British Isles; ***Upgraded in 2002 from Cat 4 to Cat 5; ****Hurricane Katrina was a category 5 hurricane until just before it made landfall at Grand Isle Louisiana; ^^As of 7:00 pm CDT 9/21/05 - subject to change before estimated landfall on 9/23/05

 

Most Notable Atlantic Tropical Cyclones - Chronological Order

A Small Portion of All Atlantic Cyclones (i.e. NOT ALL HURRICANES ARE LISTED HERE)

Year	Name [U.S. strikes noted]	Special Notes	Area Affected / "[L]" Indicates Landfall	Category / [Category at U.S. Landfall]*
1780	unnamed	Deadliest in Atlantic.[22,000]	Martinique, St Eustatius, Barbados	5
1900	unnamed aka Isaac's Storm [U.S.]	Deadliest to Hit U.S. [8,000-12,000]	Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, South Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas [particularly Galveston Tx] Detail	4
1928	unnamed aka Lake Okeechobee Hurricane [U.S.]	1st Former Cat 5 to Strike U.S.; 2nd Deadliest to Hit U.S. [2,500]	Guadaloupe, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina	5 [4]
1935	unnamed / aka Labor Day Hurricane [U.S.]	1st Cat 5 to Strike U.S.; 3rd Most Powerful Atlantic Storm [892 mb]	Florida Keys, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia	5 [5]
1954	Hazel [U.S.]		Grenada, Haiti, Bahamas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York , Southern Ontario Canada	4
1955	Janet		Swan Island, Grenada, Belize, Yucatan Peninsula Mexico	5
1957	Audrey [U.S.]		Texas, Louisiana	4 [4]
1960	Donna [U.S.]	Most U.S. Land Area Ever Affected by an Atlantic Hurricane	Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Bahamas, every state on the U.S. East Coast from Florida to Maine, Atlantic Canada	5 [4]
1961	Carla [U.S.]		Texas	4
1965	Betsy [U.S.]		Windward Islands, Bahamas, South Florida, Florida Keys, Louisiana	4
1967	Beulah [U.S.]		Windward Islands, Hispanola, Yucatan Peninsula Mexico, Texas	5 [4]
1969	Camille [U.S.]		Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Southern United States [particularly major flooding in Virginia]	5 [5]
1970	Celia [U.S.]		Caribbean, Cuba, Texas	3 [3]
1972	Agnes [U.S.]		Florida, Northeast U.S.	1
1979	Frederic [U.S.]		Alabama, Mississippi	3
1983	Alicia [U.S.]		Texas	3
1985	Gloria [U.S.]		North Carolina, New Jersey, Long Island New York, New England, Atlantic Canada	4 [2]
1985	Juan [U.S.]		Louisiana	1
1988	Gilbert	2nd Largest Atlantic Storm. [750-1,000 in diameter]; 2nd Most Powerful Atlantic Storm [888 mb]	Lesser Antilles, Jamaica, Yucatan Peninsula Mexico	5
1989	Hugo [U.S.]		South Carolina, North Carolina	4
1991	Bob [U.S.]		Bahamas, Rhode Island, Masachusetts, Connecticut, New Brunswick Canada	[2]
1991	unnamed / aka The Halloween Storm / The Perfect Storm [U.S.]	Largest Atlantic Storm. [1,000+ in diameter]	Northwestern Atlantic, Sable Island, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Nova Scotia Canada	N/A
1992	Andrew [U.S.]	2nd Costliest to Hit U.S. [26.5 billion dollars]	South Florida, Louisiana	5 [5]
1995	Opal [U.S.]		Guatemala, Yucatan Peninsula, Alabama, Florida Panhandle, Georgia, most of Eastern North America	4 [3]
1996	Fran [U.S.]		North Carolina	3
1998	Mitch [U.S.]	2nd Deadliest in Atlantic [11,000]	Swan Island, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Yucatan Peninsula Mexico, South Florida	5
1998	Georges [U.S.]		Florida, Mississippi, Alabama	2
1999	Floyd [U.S.]		Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, New England, Atlantic Canada	4
1999	Lenny / aka Wrong Way Lenny	Only Hurricane to move from West to East	Colombia, Puerto Rico, Leeward Islands: Saint Croix, Saint Martin, Anguilla, Saint-Barthelemy, Dominica [ National Hurricane Center Preliminary Report & Trajectory Maps ]	4
2001	Allison [Tropical Storm]** [U.S.]		Texas, Louisiana	N/A
2004	Charley [U.S.]		Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Florida, South Carolina	4
2005	Dennis [U.S.]		Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio	4 [3]
2005	Emily [U.S.]		Grenada, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Yucatan Penninsula Mexico, Texas	4 [4]
2005	Katrina (extensive report) [U.S.]	Costliest to hit U.S. [200 billion dollars]; 2nd greatest humanitarian crisis in U.S. history; First storm to force full evacuation of a major U.S. city [New Orleans LA], and 1st to cause significant damage to a major U.S. city [New Orleans LA]	South Florida [L1], Louisiana [L2], Mississippi [L2], Alabama, Florida Panhandle NOAA Detail	5 [4]
2005	Rita [U.S.]	2nd storm to force full evacuation of a major U.S. city [Houston TX - 4th largest U.S. city]	Florida Keys, Texas, Louisiana	5 [3]
2005	Wilma [U.S.]	Most Powerful Atlantic Hurricane	Haiti, Jamaica, Yucatan Peninsula Mexico [L1], Cuba, Florida [L2]	5 [3]

*Saffir-Simpson Scale: Cat 1 = weak, Cat 5 = devastating - Category show is at storm's peak; **Tropical storm Allison is the only tropical storm to have it's name retired in respect for it's destruction, caused by the fact that it stalled over the city of Houston. Allison's peak sustained winds were measured at 60 mph.

Atlantic Hurricane Name Lists - Current & Historic

 

Click on year range or scroll down page

1953-59

1960-69

1970-79

1980-on

Retired Atlantic Hurricane Names

 

 

Worldwide Tropical Cyclone Names - Current Only

Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean

 

NOAA Lists

NationMaster Lists

 

North Atlantic Hurricane Names (1953-1959)

Since 1953 Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists created by the U.S. National Hurricane Center, and now maintained and updated by the World Meteorological Organization.

Black Type Indicates Names Assigned to Tropical Storms & Hurricanes

Grey Type Indicates Names Not Used That Year

Green Type Indicates Names That Were Retired in That Year

Unused Names Are Not Available for 1955-1959

The Exact Spelling of Names is Not Guaranteed

North Atlantic Hurricane Names (1960-1969)

Since 1953 Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists created by the U.S. National Hurricane Center, and now maintained and updated by the World Meteorological Organization.

Black Type Indicates Names Assigned to Tropical Storms & Hurricanes

Grey Type Indicates Names Not Used That Year

Green Type Indicates Names That Are Retired

The Exact Spelling of Names is Not Guaranteed

1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969
Abby	Anna	Anna	Arlene	Abby	Anna	Alma	Arlene	Abby	Anna
Brenda	Betsy	Becky	Beulah	Brenda	Betsy	Becky	Beulah	Brenda	Blanche
Cleo	Carla	Celia	Cindy	Cleo	Carol	Celia	Chloe	Candy	Camille
Donna	Debbie	Daisy	Debra	Dora	Debbie	Dorothy	Doria	Dolly	Debbie
Ethel	Esther	Ella	Edith	Ethel	Elena	Ella	Edith	Edna	Eve
Florence	Frances	Faith	Flora	Florence	Francelia	Faith	Fern	Frances	Francelia
Gladys	Gerda	Greta	Ginny	Gladys	Gerda	Gretta	Ginger	Gladys	Gerda
Hilda	Hattie	Hallie	Helena	Hilda	Holly	Hallie	Heidi	Hannah	Holly
Isbell	Inga	Inez	Irene	Isbell	Inga	Inez	Irene	Ingrid	Inga
Janet	Jenny	Judith	Janice	Janet	Jenny	Judith	Janice	Janet	Jenny
Katy	Kara	Kendra	Kristy	Katy	Kara	Kendra	Kristy	Katy	Kara
Lila	Laurie	Lois	Laura	Lila	Laurie	Lois	Laura	Lila	Laurie
Molly	Martha	Marsha	Margo	Molly	Martha	Marsha	Margo	Molly	Martha
Nita	Netty	Noreen	Nona	Nita	Netty	Noreen	Nona	Nita	Netty
Odette	Orva	Orpha	Orchid	Odette	Orva	Orpha	Orchid	Odette	Orva
Paula	Peggy	Patty	Portia	Paula	Peggy	Patty	Portia	Paula	Peggy
Roxie	Rhoda	Rena	Rachel	Roxie	Rhoda	Rena	Rachel	Roxie	Rhoda
Stella	Sadie	Sherry	Sandra	Stella	Sadie	Sherry	Sandra	Stella	Sadie
Trudy	Tanya	Thora	Terese	Trudy	Tanya	Thora	Terese	Trudy	Tanya
Vesta	Virgy	Vicky	Verna	Vesta	Virgy	Vicky	Verna	Vesta	Virgy
Wesley	Wenda		Wallis	Wesley	Wenda	Wilna	Wallis	Wesley	Wenda

North Atlantic Hurricane Names (1970-1979)

Since 1953 Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists created by the U.S. National Hurricane Center, and now maintained and updated by the World Meteorological Organization. The lists were made up of only female names until 1979, when male names were added.

Black Type Indicates Names Assigned to Tropical Storms & Hurricanes

Grey Type Indicates Names Not Used That Year

Green Type Indicates Names That Were Retired in That Year

Unused Names Are Not Available for 1975 &1977

The Exact Spelling of Names is Not Guaranteed

 

North Atlantic Hurricane Names (1980-)

Green Type WITH Date Indicates Name Retired to "Honor" a Particular Storm

Green Type WITHOUT date Indicates Name Retired for Reasons Other Than Devastating Storm

* Indicates a Replacement Name

Purple Type Indicates a Name Most Likely to be Retired

Since 1953 Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists created by the U.S. National Hurricane Center, and now maintained and updated by the World Meteorological Organization. The lists were made up of only female names until 1979, when male names were added. The assignment of names to consecutive storms now alternates between male and female names starting with the "A" names at the beginning of each season. The assignment of names rotates between six lists (below). A storm is named once it's winds reach 40 miles per hour. In addition to the Atlantic list of names, there are ten other lists used to assign names to storms in other parts of the world

The Exact Spelling of Names is Not Guaranteed

** In anticipation of the name Katrina being retired, the World Meteorological Organization will need to select another "K" name for possible designation in 2011 and beyond; The name "Katrina" was used (1) for Hurricane Katrina that hit Cuba in 1981 then weakened significantly, and (2) Tropical Storm Katrina in 1999 that made landfall in Nicaragua after weakening to a tropical storm, and the 2005 storm that retired the name, (3) Hurricane Katrina which crossed over South Florida to the Gulf of Mexico, making landfall on the coastal border between Louisiana and Mississippi, destroying 80% of the city of New Orleans by flooding, and devastating parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle in the costliest natural disaster in U.S. recorded history; NOTE: When a season's list of names has been exhausted (i.e. the "Z" name has been used, even if not previously assigned), the Greek alphabet ("Alpha", "Beta", "Gamma", "Delta", "Epsilon", etc.) is then used.

Retired North Atlantic Hurricane & Tropical Storm Names

Any country affected by a hurricane or tropical storm can petition the World Meteorological Organization to have the name retired if the storm is particularly destructive

Retired names without dates or description are names that were retired for reasons other than "to honor" a particular storm

*Category 4 Hurricane Joan crossed over mainland Central America into the Pacific Ocean and became Tropical Storm Miriam, one of only seven storms to have ever crossed from the Atlantic to the Pacific; **Replacement names that are now also retired; ***In anticipation of the name "Katrina" being retired, the World Meteorological Organization will need to select another "K" name for possible designation in 2011 and beyond; The name "Katrina" was used for (1) Hurricane Katrina that hit Cuba in 1981 then weakened significantly, (2) Tropical Storm Katrina in 1999 that made landfall in Nicaragua after weakening to a tropical storm, and the 2005 storm that retired the name, (3) Hurricane Katrina which crossed over South Florida to the Gulf of Mexico, making landfall on the coastal border between Louisiana and Mississippi, destroying 80% of the city of New Orleans by flooding, and devastating parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle in the costliest natural disaster in U.S. recorded history.