At its meeting in Martinique earlier this month the World Meteorological Society retired the storm names Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate from being used for Atlantic Hurricane names in future.

Storm names are normally reused every six years, but if a storm is so destructive that a future use of its name is deemed insensitive, then its name is retired. The Hurricane Committee, meeting at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hurricane centre, issued replacement names of Harold, Idalia, Margot, and Nigel which will appear on 2023’s list of Atlantic Hurricane names instead.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall over Texas as a Category 4 hurricane in late August. Harvey broke the record for the highest rainfall total from a US Tropical Cyclone after 60.58 inches of rain was recorded. Causing 68 deaths Harvey is also the second costliest storm in US history, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

In September Hurricane Irma swept across the northern islands of the Caribbean before making US landfall over the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm, causing seven direct and 85 indirect deaths in the US.

Also in September, Hurricane Maria made landfall over Cuba as a Category 5 hurricane then made another landfall over Puerto Rico as a Category 4. Maria is the third costliest Hurricane in US history causing 33 direct deaths outside of the US and 65 deaths in Puerto Rico. The number of indirect deaths due to Maria is unknown.

In October Hurricane Nate hit Central America, causing 45 direct deaths before travelling north to the Mississippi Gulf coast as a Category 1 hurricane, with no direct deaths caused.

With the latest four, there have now been 86 names retired from the Hurricane list since 1953, when storms were first named. The 2005 season holds the record for the most names retired because of the devastation caused by hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Stan and Wilma.

The names for the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season (from June 1-November 30) were announced as:  Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sara, Tony, Valerie, William.

Photo shows the committee members voting.