5 for 5 typhoon names?

[Hurricanehink]

The WPAC naming list has been used four times since it was introduced in 2000, with many names being retired since then. This included Man-yi, which was retired after becoming a typhoon on each of its five iterations. I was looking at the list to see what felt like the most iconic WPAC name still in use, which took me down this mini rabbit hole.

The following four names attained typhoon status every time it was used: Krosa, Cham-hom, Chaba, Nesat.

There are a few borderline cases, where three out of four times it was a typhoon, and the last time one warning agency called it a typhoon (but officially it was not). Those include Halong (in 2008, the JMA called it a severe tropical storm but the JTWC called it a typhoon), Fengshen (2014 the JMA had it as STS, JTWC as a TY), Mindulle (2010 the JMA had it as STS, JTWC as TY), Nanmadol (in 2017, the JTWC upgraded the storm to Typhoon status in post-season, JMA called it TS). There is another borderline case - Neoguri has been a typhoon every time it was used, but the 4th time, when it was known as Noguri in 2002, the JMA classified a severe tropical storm while the JTWC considered it a typhoon.

So if we include the borderline cases, there are only nine names that have been a typhoon each time they've been used. Some names broke their streak on their 5th time around, including Damrey, which peaked only as a severe tropical storm in 2023. Similarly, Prapiroon in 2024 peaked as a severe tropical storm, the only storm of its name not to have become a typhoon. Soulik in 2024 was a minimal tropical storm compared to four more formidable typhoons of the same name.

It'll be interesting what names continue the trend, or go out like Man-yi and become a typhoon each time it's used.

[Teban54]

Great stuff!

This got me wondering how often Atlantic storm names are used for hurricanes. A major difference from WPAC is that Atlantic names have vastly different frequencies.

Most "modern" names that have been on the current lists since 1979 have had 7 or 8 chances to be used under this naming system, unless they were retired/replacement names or late in the alphabet. Arlene, the most frequently used name, had been used for 12 TCs (4 of which predate modern naming lists).


Perfect Records: Names that became hurricanes on every use

Humberto is the winner: the name had been used 5 times, and became a hurricane every time, with one being MH. (C2 1995, C2 2001, C1 2007, C1 2013, C3 2019)

The only other such names that are still on today's naming lists (not retired), with at least two such uses, are Holly and Rafael.

• Holly's only two H uses both predate the modern naming system (C1 1969, C1 1976). It has just returned to current lists as the replacement of Helene, but has not been used yet.
• In contrast, both of Rafael's uses were under the modern system (C1 2012, C3 2024), including last year as one of the only two November Gulf MHs on record.

Names that became a hurricane all 4 times they were used: (none on the current lists)

• Felix (retired) (C1 1989, C4 1995, C3 2001, C5 2007)
• Floyd (retired) (C3 1981, C1 1987, C1 1993, C4 1999)
• Gladys (only in legacy naming systems, but may return in the future) (C1 1955, C4 1964, C2 1968, C4 1975)
• Lili (retired) (C1 1984, C1 1990, C3 1996, C4 2002)

Names that became a hurricane all 3 times they were used: (none on the current lists)

• (Sunset with legacy systems) Able, Easy, Fox
• (Retired) Betsy, Bob, Carol, Cleo, Flora, Gloria, Ivan, Jeanne, Maria, Michael, Nate, Noel
  
  • Betsy became MH all 3 times (C3 1956, C4 1961, C4 1965)
  • Carol (C5 1953, C3 1954, C1 1965) was retired for 10 years after 1954, then permanently after 1965 due to confusion

One-hit-wonders (one-time H names that were retired after their only use), sorted by time:

• (Legacy systems) Connie, Diane, Ione, Janet, Audrey, Donna, Hattie, Inez, Camille, Agnes, Carmen, Eloise, Anita
• (Modern list) David, Frederic, Allen, Alicia, Gilbert, Joan, Hugo, Luis, Marilyn, Opal, Roxanne, Mitch, Lenny, Michelle, Rita, Stan, Wilma, Ike, Paloma, Igor, Tomas, Sandy, Joaquin, Eta, Iota, Milton
• Shoutout to One-hit-wonder Cat 5s: Janet, Hattie, Camille, David, Allen, Gilbert, Hugo, Mitch, Rita, Wilma, Milton
  
  • 7 of the 10 most intense Atlantic hurricanes by pressure are on this list; Labor Day, Katrina and Dean are the only exceptions

One-time H names that are still on the current list (to be used in the future), sorted alphabetically:

• Elsa, Francine, Idalia, Isaias, Margot, Martin, Nigel, Paula, Paulette, Richard, Sally, Sam, Shary, Tanya, Teddy, Vince

Honorable mentions:

• Irma: Would have been a one-hit-wonder (2017) if only counting the modern naming system, but it was also used for a TS in 1978, the year before the modern lists began.
• King: As a phonetic alphabet name, it was only used once (1950). As a Cat 4 SFL hit, it would have definitely been a one-hit-wonder under modern naming and retirement practices.
• Epsilon: Holds a perfect record of 2 H uses. It's the only Greek letter that became a hurricane during both seasons that used them, 2005 and 2020.

Names with the greatest number of uses as hurricanes

The following names have been used for 6 hurricanes each, as the tied current record:

• Frances, with 4 MH; retired (C4 1961, C3 1976, C3 1980, C1 1986, C1 1992, C4 2004)
• Florence, with 2 MH; retired (C3 1953, C1 1988, C2 1994, C1 2000, C1 2006, C4 2018)
• Earl, with 1 MH; still on the list (C1 1980, C2 1986, C2 1998, C4 2010, C1 2016, C2 2022)

Of these three, Earl is the only one whose 6 H uses were all during the modern naming system. Florence got close: 5 of its 6 Hs were after 1979, and 2012 was the only time it failed to become a hurricane as a List 4 name.

Names that became a hurricane 5 times:

• Helene, with 4 MH; retired (C4 1958, C4 1988, C3 2006, C2 2018, C4 2024)
• Irene, with 2 MH; retired (C1 1971, C3 1981, C2 1999, C2 2005, C3 2011)
• Humberto, with 1 MH; still on the list (C2 1995, C2 2001, C1 2007, C1 2013, C3 2019)
  
  • The "perfect record" holder as mentioned above
• Isaac, with 1 MH; still on the list (C4 2000, C1 2006, C1 2012, C1 2018, C2 2024)
  
  • Almost made the "perfect record" list except 1 TS (its first use in 1988)
  • Of course, also the last man standing among the original I names
• Dolly, with 0 MH; still on the list (C1 1953, C1 1954, C1 1968, C1 1996, C2 2008)

Names that became a hurricane 4 times, including the "perfect record" holders in italics:

• (3 MH) Emily, Felix
• (2 MH) Bertha, Ella, Floyd, Gladys, Karl, Lili
• (1 MH) Charley, Danielle, Danny, Debby, Gert, Gordon
• (0 MH) Bonnie, Lisa
• Shoutouts:
  
  • Charley and Lisa almost made the "perfect records" list, except they both had 1 TS each
    
    • In fact, even the spelling "Charlie" as part of the phonetic alphabet became H on all 3 occasions when it was eligible (C2 1950, C4 1951, C3 1952). The only exception was STS in 1972, but that was as part of the phonetic alphabet which was used explicitly for STS.
  • Bertha became July Cat 3 twice, and both formed in the MDR (1996 & 2008)
  • Karl, in addition to the BoC Cat 3 in 2010, was also the "overlooked" CV Cat 4 of the 2004 season

"Losing steam": These names started with impressive records of consecutive hurricanes since the modern naming lists began, but lost their "perfect record" status when the streak stopped later.

• Bonnie: 4 H followed by 4 TS (all consecutive; although Bonnie 2022 reached C3 in the EPAC)
• Gordon: 4 H followed by 2 TS (and should have been a one-hit-wonder after 1994)
• Kate: 3 H followed by 1 TS
• Ophelia: 3 H followed by 1 TS

Other honorable mentions:

• Alex: 3 H and 2 TS, but quality over quantity. Two most well-known uses are: June Cat 2 in 2010, and January Cat 1 in 2016.
• Alice: 3 H and 1 TS, but the three H include the only case of a single name being used twice in the same year. One of them (Dec 1954) was one of the only two storms crossing the calendar year, and the only hurricane doing so. Even the other Alice 1954 was a rare Gulf Cat 2 in June.

Failed Attempts: Never became a hurricane

Ana had been used 8 times, but not once as a hurricane. It's also the record holder by a long shot: All other names that had been used at least 5 times became a hurricane at least once!

Alpha and the alternative spelling Alfa are second in place, with 4 uses (combined) but none as hurricanes. However, the first two times (including "Alfa" 1973) were as part of the phonetic alphabet that was used for STS, meaning it wouldn't have been eligible as a hurricane name. The other two times marked the incredible feat of reaching the Greek alphabet.

Dishonorable mentions: ("TS" indicates peaking at TS strength)

• Bret: 7 TS, but only 1 H (C4 in 1999)
• Arthur: 6 TS, but only 1 H (C2 in 2014)
• Hermine: 5 TS, but only 1 H (C1 in 2016)
• Beryl: Was once on a streak of 6 TS since modern naming lists began. However, it then got the spotlight as a rare July MDR hurricane in 2018, followed by 2024 one that we all know.