Four hurricane names are being retired and here are their replacements

Posted April 14, 2018

The names of four deadly hurricanes that slammed parts of the United States, Central America and the Caribbean past year are being retired. So, if you see a name that you think you've heard before, you probably have.

As The Washington Post reported, hurricane names started to be retired after the 1954 hurricane season, when three devastating storms hit the East Coast.

The World Meteorological Organization on Thursday removed the names Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate from the list of future hurricane names due to the "extensive damage" those storms caused in the United States and Caribbean previous year. Taking their place will be Harold, Idalia, Margot, and Nigel respectively.

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Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate are storm names that don't bear repeating.

Including these four additions, there have been 86 names retired from the Atlantic basin list since 1953, when storms began to be named. The 2005 season still holds the top spot with five retirees (Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Stan, and Wilma). A full review of the 2017 season can be found here. It wasn't just the most active - it was also the most expensive on record in USA history. Seven months later many on the island are still without power. "Irma caused 44 direct deaths as a result of its strong winds, heavy rain and high surf", according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

That news earned some ominous and sensational headlines online, but what will ultimately happen on land remains a mystery whether there are many storms or just a few.

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Hurricane Maria came next, slamming into the island of Dominica as a Category 5 storm on September 19, then wrecking havoc on Puerto Rico. It also inflicted serious damage on some of the other islands of the northeastern Caribbean Sea. It's the third costliest hurricane in USA history. The storm was blamed for at least 100 direct deaths between Dominica and Puerto Rico, but the number of indirect deaths due to the massive disruption is still unknown.

Nate, a hurricane that hit central America as a tropical storm, then the US Gulf Coast, is also being retired.

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