Retire Fabian

[Josephine96]

I know Fabian wasn't as strong as Andrew or Mitch when he blasted Bermuda... but I really think the NHC should give consideration to retiring that name. It did a heaping load of damage to the island..

[GalvestonDuck]

I can't really vote one way or another because I'm not certain of all the criteria for retiring a name. I suppose they'll access the damage, estimate the costs, tally the casualties (which I'm sad to say there may be at least 4), look at the storm stats, and then go from there.

[JetMaxx]

Fabian will definitely be retired....all landfalling major Atlantic hurricanes are -- regardless of whether landfall occurred on the U.S. or not (why there will never be another Roxanne, Lenny, or Marilyn).

[Stormsfury]

Fabian will definitely be retired....all landfalling major Atlantic hurricanes are -- regardless of whether landfall occurred on the U.S. or not (why there will never be another Roxanne, Lenny, or Marilyn).

IMHO, Fabian will be retired and should be ...

Criteria for a storm retirement are as follows:

1) Very deadly
2) Very damaging
3) Very memorable as to which it will be talked about and remembered for generations (and not to be confused with other storms bearing of the same name)

I'm definitely hoping criteria #1 isn't met, but based on the impact that Fabian has wrought upon Bermuda, the storm qualifies #2 and #3 in my book.

SF

[OtherHD]

Fabian will definitely be retired....all landfalling major Atlantic hurricanes are -- regardless of whether landfall occurred on the U.S. or not (why there will never be another Roxanne, Lenny, or Marilyn).

Bret hit south Texas as a Cat 3 and was not retired.

[weatherlover427]

Did Bret meet these criteria?

1) Very deadly
2) Very damaging
3) Very memorable as to which it will be talked about and remembered for generations (and not to be confused with other storms bearing of the same name)

[Andrew92]

Bret hit a very unpopulated area in Texas, very undeveloped. I agree that just because a storm is a Cat. 3 doesn't get it retired, it still has to do the damage, and Bret didn't do it.

I think Fabian has done enough damage in Bermuda to warrant retirement of the name. If that's right, in 2009, watch out for Hurricane Forrest! (not to be confused with the 1983 typhoon )

-Andrew92

[Josephine96]

Lol do you mean Forrest Gump or Forrest Sawyer? lol

It'll probably have a name like Floppy or something lol I don't know

[weatherlover427]

I think Fabian should be retired. It is apparent that he has caused extensive damage in Bermuda; and hopefully (as SF said) the loss of life is very small.

[JetMaxx]

Bret hit south Texas as a Cat 3 and was not retired.

I haven't checked the name list for 2005, but Bret should have been retired. If not, either someone at NHC (or NOAA) goofed, or they've changed the criteria for retiring names since Dr Neil Frank was NHC Director....he's the gentleman who told me all landfalling majors were retired (when I visited NHC in the early 80's).

I'm certain Fabian will be retired....the most intense hurricane to strike Bermuda in half-century...PLUS there are several fatalities and major damage.

[charleston_hugo_veteran]

Goodbye Fabian!!

[AussieMark]

Bret hit the most unpopulated stretch of the US coastline in central Padre Island.

If Bret hit a few miles to the north Corpus Christi would have been under his radar asnd that landfall would have been Category 3 or if he hit a few miles to the south that would have brough him it at Brownsville possibly as a category 4 hurricane. So in reality Bret was a lucky storm, imagine if he hit a few miles north or south of where he hit.

Remember Lili from last year was Lili retired because of the combined effects from Isidore and Lili (like Connie and Diane in 1955)

[wxman57]

Bret actually struck south Texas as a Cat 4 with 125 kt sustained wind and 944mb pressure. As far as I can tell, Bret was not retired. It was a very small, yet powerful storm. But it didn't hit anything but a wide-open King Ranch.

[AussieMark]

The NHC sets it at 115 mph at landfall
see http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1999bret.html

[ColdFront77]

Retired hurricane names have to come back after so many years. If names don't return there won't be any left.

[Josephine96]

I think the NHC needs to consider letting us pick some of the names.. It gets boring seeing the same old names.. especially terrible names or ones we can't pronounce

[Anonymous]

Bret I believe caused no casualties, and no injuries to speak of due to hitting an unpopulated area. I just checked storm fax website and Bret will be used again in the year 2005.

[WXBUFFJIM]

One would consider that as a possibility. It was mainly a fish storm, yet it was the strongest hurricane to hit Bermuda in 50 years. Edna was the last category 3 hurricane to directly hit Bermuda back in 1953. So right there, that's a significant development and one worth considering. Bret hit the least populated coastal county along the US gulf and east coast, Kennedy County, TX.

Jim