List of retired Pacific hurricane names
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This is a list of all Pacific hurricanes that have had their names retired. Hurricane names are retired by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in a meeting in March or April of each year. Those hurricanes that have their names retired tend to be exceptionally destructive storms that often become household names in the regions they affected. Storm names are retired following a request made at the March or April WMO meeting by one or more of the countries affected by a hurricane. At least five tropical cyclone names have been retired since the start of tropical cyclone naming in the eastern Pacific Ocean, including two storms named by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
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[edit] General information
Since 1960, 11 storms have had their names removed from the List of Pacific hurricane names, including two from the Central Pacific. Of these, two names, Adolph and Israel, were retired for political consideration.[1] Two names prior to the start of modern naming in 1978 were removed from the lists for unknown reasons; Hazel was removed following its usage in 1965 and Adele was removed following its usage in 1970. The former made landfall on northwestern Mexico as a minimal tropical storm with no known effects, while Adele remained at sea for its duration. However, the name Hurricane Hazel was previously retired in the Atlantic basin. Since the standardization of Pacific hurricane naming in 1978, several names have been retired due to pronunciation ambiguity, a socially unacceptable meaning in another language, or because they represented a significant human disaster, and both Knut in 1987 and Iva in 1988 were removed from naming lists without either having affected any landmass. Hurricanes Fico and Fefa were removed from lists, as well. It is unknown whether the names were removed due to the previous reasons or due to their respective damages on Hawaii.[2]
Multiple names were altered slightly by changing the spelling of a tropical cyclone name. Kirsten in 1966 became Kristen in 1970, though was reverted back to Kirsten in 1974.[3] The name Dalilia, which was used in 1983 and 1989, was changed, perhaps inadvertently, to Dalila in 1995, a change which remains intact on the naming list.[4] The name Dolores, which was used in 1979 and 1985, was changed to Delores for the 1991 and 1997 seasons. In 2003 it was reverted back to Dolores, a change which remains on the list of Pacific tropical cyclone names.[3]
Prior to 1957, two storms in the Central Pacific Ocean received Hawaiian names and were never re-used. From 1957 until the late 1970s, names in the basin received names from the list of typhoon names for its year, though none were retired. Since the modern system of Central Pacific tropical cyclone naming began in the early 1980s, two names were retired for their effects on Hawaii. Iwa was replaced with Io following its usage in 1982, and Iniki was replaced with Iolana followinng its usage in 1992.[3]
[edit] Lists of retired names
[edit] Listed by intensity
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale | ||||||
TD | TS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
This lists all retired hurricanes by their peak intensity, which is determined by measurements of the minimum central pressure.
While the intensity of tropical cyclones is measured solely by central pressure, wind speeds are also estimated; the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is used in the Pacific basin to rank hurricanes according to their strongest 1-minute sustained winds. While most hurricanes do not make landfall at their peak intensity, they are often referred to by their strongest Saffir-Simpson Category rather than by their landfall Category.
Of the storms in the Pacific whose names have been retired, two peaked as Category 1 hurricanes, one peaked as a Category 3 hurricane, three peaked as Category 4 hurricanes, and one peaked as a Category 5 hurricane. Many storms of high intensities have not had their names retired because most Pacific hurricanes do not make landfall.
Name | Season | Max. 1-min. average sustained wind[5] | Min. central pressure[5] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Knots | Km/h | Mph | Mbar (hPa) | ||
Ismael | 1995 | 70 | 130 | 80 | 983 |
Iwa | 1990 | 80 | 145 | 90 | 968 |
Fefa | 1991 | 105 | 195 | 120 | 959 |
Fico | 1978 | 120 | 220 | 140 | 955 |
Pauline | 1997 | 115 | 215 | 135 | 948 |
Iniki | 1992 | 120 | 225 | 140 | 938 |
Kenna | 2002 | 145 | 265 | 165 | 913 |
[edit] Listed by total damages
This lists all retired Pacific hurricanes by their total damages (in 2006 USD). Hurricane names are generally retired for one of two reasons, either because they were particularly damaging or particularly deadly. Some data may be incomplete and account for damages in only one location while the storm affected several. Calculation of modern-day damage amounts is done using the Consumer Price Index.[6]
Name | Season | Damages (at the time) | Damages (2006 USD) |
---|---|---|---|
Pauline | 1997 | $7.5 billion[7] | $9.4 billion |
Iniki | 1997 | $1.8 billion[8] | $2.6 billion |
Iwa | 1992 | $308 million[9] | $644 million |
Ismael | 1995 | $26 million[10] | $34.4 million |
Kenna | 2002 | $5+ million[11] | $5.6 million |
Fico | 1978 | $200,000[12] | $618,000 |
Fefa | 1991 | Unknown | Unknown |
[edit] Listed by death toll
This lists all retired Pacific hurricanes by the number of deaths they caused. Hurricane names are generally retired for one of two reasons, either because they were particularly damaging or particularly deadly. While many damaging storms caused little loss of life, most deadly storms also caused heavy damage. Most storms cause fatalities not by their high winds but rather through flooding - either storm surge or inland flooding due to rainfall. Storm surge has the highest potential for deaths; with modern forecasting, warning, and evacuation storm surge deaths can be almost eliminated, but the potential is still very high for catastrophe in places where warning systems are not in place or if warnings are ignored. Inland flooding, by contrast, is unpredictable because it depends heavily on a hurricane's interaction with the terrain and with other nearby weather systems.
There have been several deadlier hurricanes than the following that were not retired. Hurricane Tara killed at least 500 people in southern Mexico in 1961,[13] and Hurricane Liza caused at least 425 deaths along the Baja California Peninsula in 1976.[14]
Name | Season | Direct deaths | Primary location |
---|---|---|---|
Pauline | 1997 | 230 - 400 | Oaxaca, Guerrero |
Ismael | 1995 | 116 | Sonora, Sinaloa |
Iniki | 1992 | 6 | Hawaii |
Kenna | 2002 | 4 | Nayarit |
Iwa | 1982 | 1 | Hawaii |
Fico | 1978 | 0 | N/A |
Fefa | 1991 | 0 | N/A |
[edit] Landfalls
Landfall of a tropical cyclone is defined as the moving of the center of the eye over land. Damages from a tropical cyclone are usually greatest where it makes landfall. In the below list, the retired hurricanes are listed in chronological order with their landfall locations listed under columns designating their strength on the Saffir-Simpson Scale at the time of landfall. Within a cell, landfalls are listed in chronological order. Three retired hurricanes, Hurricanes Fico, Iwa, and Fefa never made landfall anywhere at any intensity. They are omitted from this list.
Name | Season | Landfall | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Category 5 | Category 4 | Category 3 | Category 2 | Category 1 | Tropical Storm | |||
Iniki | 1992 | Hawaii[15] | ||||||
Ismael | 1995 | Sinaloa[16] | ||||||
Pauline | 1997 | Oaxaca[17] | ||||||
Kenna | 2002 | Nayarit[11] |
[edit] See also
- List of notable Pacific hurricanes
- List of retired Atlantic hurricanes
- Category:Retired Pacific hurricanes
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Gary Padgett, Jack Beven, and James Lewis Free (2006). What names have been retired in the Atlantic and East Pacific basin?. Hurricane Research Division. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
- ^ World Meteorological Organization (2006). Regional Association IV (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) Hurricane Operational Plan. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
- ^ a b c Atlantic Tropical Weather Center (2006). Tropical Cyclone Retirement. Ablaze Productions, Inc.. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
- ^ Edward N. Rappaport (1995). Tropical Storm Dalila Tropical Cyclone Report. National Hurricane Center. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
- ^ a b Hurricane Research Division (2006). Hurricane Data for Pacific Hurricanes 1949-2005. NOAA. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.
- ^ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (2006). What is a dollar worth?. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
- ^ Centro Nacional para la Prevención de Desastres (1999). Estadisticas Sobre Los Riegos a Atenuar de Fenomenos Perturbadores (Spanish). Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
- ^ National Hurricane Center (2004). Costliest U.S. Hurricanes 1900-2004 (unadjusted). Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
- ^ United States Geological Survey (2005). Summary of Significant Floods, 1982. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
- ^ Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres (2006). Impacto Socioeconómico de los Ciclones Tropicales 2005 (Spanish). Retrieved on 2006-11-09.
- ^ a b James L. Franklin (2002). Hurricane Kenna Tropical Cyclone Report. National Hurricane Center. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
- ^ The State of Hawaii Data Book (2000). Geography and Environment of Hawaii. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
- ^ Tony Burton (2001). Mexico in November - A Historical Review. Mexico Connect. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
- ^ Emil B. Gunther (1977). Eastern North Pacific Tropical Cyclones of 1976. Eastern Pacific Hurricane Center. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
- ^ Central Pacific Hurricane Center (1992). 1992 Central Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
- ^ Max Mayfield (1995). Hurricane Ismael Tropical Cyclone Report. National Hurricane Center. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
- ^ Miles B. Lawrence (1997). Hurricane Pauline Tropical Cyclone Report. National Hurricane Center. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.