2008 Cyclones Retirement

[senorpepr]

Jason... here's the story from NOAA's website:

Whenever a hurricane has had a major impact, any country affected by the storm can request that the name of the hurricane be "retired" by agreement of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Retiring a name actually means that it cannot be reused for at least 10 years, to facilitate historic references, legal actions, insurance claim activities, etc. and avoid public confusion with another storm of the same name. If that happens, a like gender name is selected in English, Spanish or French for Atlantic Storms.

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

Jason... here's the story from NOAA's website:

Whenever a hurricane has had a major impact, any country affected by the storm can request that the name of the hurricane be "retired" by agreement of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Retiring a name actually means that it cannot be reused for at least 10 years, to facilitate historic references, legal actions, insurance claim activities, etc. and avoid public confusion with another storm of the same name. If that happens, a like gender name is selected in English, Spanish or French for Atlantic Storms.

So they could legally use Andrew or Camille again today? Its been over ten years.

[Ad Novoxium]

Jason... here's the story from NOAA's website:

Whenever a hurricane has had a major impact, any country affected by the storm can request that the name of the hurricane be "retired" by agreement of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Retiring a name actually means that it cannot be reused for at least 10 years, to facilitate historic references, legal actions, insurance claim activities, etc. and avoid public confusion with another storm of the same name. If that happens, a like gender name is selected in English, Spanish or French for Atlantic Storms.

So they could legally use Andrew or Camille again today? Its been over ten years.

I always found some parts of that rule to be appalling. If you ask me, they need a system to vote or decide on which names can be reused if it comes down to it with no other choices (outside this, keep the names off). Going by all 10+ year retirements, the problem is that if Ike is retired (and it will be), only a scant few names can replace it, like Iggy, Ian, Isaiah, or Ingmar, because all retired male I names were since 00. If a vote were to be called for whether a name could or couldn't be reused, some names are definently NOT being reused, no matter how long it's been (Camille, Andrew, David, Frederic, Gloria, Mitch), while some may be returned to active use (Edna, Connie, Klaus). Like with Edna. It did, at the time, 20 direct deaths and $40 million in damage. By comparison, quite a few names since then were not retired for doing more damage or killing more, or more rarely, both, most recently Olga in 07, which killed 40 and caused $45 million.

[Cleveland Kent Evans]

The "at least ten years" rule does seem a little odd, since it's at least six years before any name is reused, with the present system of six rotating lists. In actuality, I don't think any previously "retired" name has been re-used in the same basin.

The rule is also unclear when it says a "country" must request retirement of a name. Who in the country has the authority to do this? In the USA, who is designated to make that decision? Is it some committee or individual at NOAA? This has simply never been made clear in any report I've seen.

The WMO has been unlucky in that they have had to replace so many "I" names, and "I" and "F" are probably the letters where it's hardest for the general public (which includes most meteorologists) to readily think of replacement names. Personally I think Ian is the obvious choice to replace Ike because it fits in with the "short and easily pronounced" criterion the best. But in addition to the names Ad Novoxium mentioned, you would also have Ignace, Ilan, Irv, Irving, Ildefonso, Ilidio, Imperio, Indalecio, Inigo, Isarno, Isauro, Isidro, Italo, Ituriel, Imanol, Iago, Ichabod, Ira, Ivor, Icarus, Idris, Idwal, Ingram, Ingvar, Innes, Iorwerth, and Ithel as possibilities from the French, Spanish, and English name dictionaries I own. And that's without using Innocent or Immanuel, which probably should be avoided as names of hurricanes because of religious sensibilities.

[Ad Novoxium]

The "at least ten years" rule does seem a little odd, since it's at least six years before any name is reused, with the present system of six rotating lists. In actuality, I don't think any previously "retired" name has been re-used in the same basin.

The rule is also unclear when it says a "country" must request retirement of a name. Who in the country has the authority to do this? In the USA, who is designated to make that decision? Is it some committee or individual at NOAA? This has simply never been made clear in any report I've seen.

The WMO has been unlucky in that they have had to replace so many "I" names, and "I" and "F" are probably the letters where it's hardest for the general public (which includes most meteorologists) to readily think of replacement names. Personally I think Ian is the obvious choice to replace Ike because it fits in with the "short and easily pronounced" criterion the best. But in addition to the names Ad Novoxium mentioned, you would also have Ignace, Ilan, Irv, Irving, Ildefonso, Ilidio, Imperio, Indalecio, Inigo, Isarno, Isauro, Isidro, Italo, Ituriel, Imanol, Iago, Ichabod, Ira, Ivor, Icarus, Idris, Idwal, Ingram, Ingvar, Innes, Iorwerth, and Ithel as possibilities from the French, Spanish, and English name dictionaries I own. And that's without using Innocent or Immanuel, which probably should be avoided as names of hurricanes because of religious sensibilities.

I was thinking of putting Innes (I know the name from Fire Emblem), but I balked on it because it's too close, fundamentally, to Inez, and I don't personally like names for new cyclones that resemble the names of 1000+ killers. Or are Inez and Innes just far apart from each other to allow such?

EDIT: And I forgot to mention, there is a case of the same name being used twice in a basin in which both times got it retired: Bess in the West Pacific. From what I heard, it was retired in 1974 after the typhoon of that name hit Luzon and Hainan and was replaced with Bonnie, but the name, after a while, was reinserted and, in 1982, another typhoon prompted the name to be reretired. Brenda was the replacement. I don't know the circumstances of the retirements, though.

[HURAKAN]

For Ike I propose Ian or Irving.

[Cyclone1]

Ian is pretty much the only modern name left.

As for Gustav... hmmm, Guy?

[CrazyC83]

My thoughts of replacement names:

Gustav - Germain, Gonzalo, Guy

Ike - Ichabod, Ingram, Iverson

[HURAKAN]

For Ike I propose Ian or Irving.

For Gustav there are a lot of choices. Link: http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/eng_m3.php

But I prefer Griffin in honor of "Family Guy."

[Ad Novoxium]

For all names with a chance of retirement (Dolly, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike), here's my ideas:

Dolly:
Desdemona, Daisy, Deedee, Dinah

Fay:
Fannie, Fiora, Fern, Frieda

Gustav:
Gary, Garcia, Grady, Geraldo, Gant, Gort, Gephart

Hanna:
Helga, Holly, Hyacinth

Ike:
See my post and Cleveland's.

[Category 5]

Gustav - Geraldo

Ike - Ian

[RL3AO]

Gustav - Geraldo

Sounds like a storm that will have 250 mph gusts.

[Andrew92]

I personally think Gustav and Ike have the best chances of getting retired. Hanna wouldn't fully surprise me especially after Noel biting the dust, but right now I don't quite think it will happen. Dolly and Fay didn't do enough.

I pick Gustav to be replaced with Geraldo, and Ike with Ira. Keep in mind, this particular list has a lot of names we either don't see too much of anymore in the US (like Bertha, Dolly, and Ike), or a lot of international names.

-Andrew92

[HURAKAN]

Gustav - Geraldo

Sounds like a storm that will have 250 mph gusts.

It would have to be "Gerald" because Geraldo is in Spanish and Gustav is not in Spanish.

[Jason_B]

Ian is pretty much the only modern name left.

Which is why we need to stop retiring names. Can't wait to see what we're coming up with 10 years from now, hurricane Maeliyaasia barring down on Florida.

[Derek Ortt]

to not retire names would be absurred, Jason_B

it would cause massive confusion. We would be left wondering which Isidore in the future

[HURAKAN]

Based on Wikipedia

[Derek Ortt]

I'd be very surprised if gustav actually caused 20 billion. That seems like one of the typical overestimates from insurance models.

it may have been closer to 2-5

[Cleveland Kent Evans]

Ian is pretty much the only modern name left.

As for Gustav... hmmm, Guy?

Guy would also be my first choice as a replacement for Gustav because it fits so well the NHC's own criteria that the name by "short and distinctive". But Gary is almost as good a choice as Guy. And Glenn would also work very well.

If they want to use names which are now "modern" in the sense that a lot of babies in the USA are being given them, then Gabriel, Gavin, Gage, Garrett, Giovanni, Grant, or Griffin are possibilities.

If they end up replacing Hanna, I think Heather would be good, though it might be a bit hard to pronounce in Spanish or French. Hayley, Hallie, Harriet, and Heidi would also work. "Hope" would fit the short and distinctive criteria well, but personally I don't like the idea of that word becoming the name of a hurricane. It would be too ironic if it was the name of a destructive storm.

[Brent]

Gustav - Geraldo

Sounds like a storm that will have 250 mph gusts.