Will Irene be retired?

[Ian]

Maybe a no brainer but what say you?

[Sunny and Warm]

Maybe a no brainer but what say you?

If Gloria, Bob, and David are retired, then Irene WILL be retired.

List of retired names by year 1954

Carol

Hazel1955

Connie

Diane

Ione

Janet1956 1957

Audrey1958 1959 1960

Donna1961

Carla

Hattie1962 1963

Flora1964

Cleo

Dora

Hilda1965

Betsy1966

Inez1967

Beulah1968

Edna1969

Camille1970

Celia1971 1972

Agnes1973 1974

Carmen

Fifi1975

Eloise1976 1977

Anita1978 1979

David

Frederic1980

Allen1981 1982 1983

Alicia1984 1985

Elena

Gloria1986 1987 1988

Gilbert

Joan1989

Hugo1990

Diana

Klaus1991

Bob1992

Andrew1993 1994 1995

Luis

Marilyn

Opal

Roxanne1996

Cesar

Fran

Hortense1997 1998

Georges

Mitch1999

Floyd

Lenny2000

Keith2001

Allison

Iris

Michelle2002

Isidore

Lili2003

Fabian

Isabel

Juan2004

Charley

Frances

Ivan

Jeanne2005

Dennis

Katrina

Rita

Stan

Wilma2006 2007

Dean

Felix

Noel2008

Gustav

Ike

Paloma2009

2010

Igor

Tomas

Alphabetical list of retired Atlantic names

Agnes 1972Alicia 1983Allen 1980Allison 2001Andrew 1992Anita 1977Audrey 1957Betsy 1965Beulah 1967Bob 1991Camille 1969Carla 1961Carmen 1974Carol 1954Celia 1970Cesar 1996Charley 2004Cleo 1964Connie 1955David 1979Dean 2007Dennis 2005Diana 1990Diane 1955Donna 1960Dora 1964Edna 1968Elena 1985Eloise 1975Fabian 2003Felix 2007Fifi 1974Flora 1963Floyd 1999Fran 1996Frances 2004Frederic 1979Georges 1998Gilbert 1988Gloria 1985Gustav 2008Hattie 1961Hazel 1954Hilda 1964Hortense 1996Hugo 1989Igor 2010Ike 2008Inez 1966Ione 1955Iris 2001Isabel 2003Isidore 2002Ivan 2004Janet 1955Jeanne 2004Joan 1988Juan 2003Katrina 2005Keith 2000Klaus 1990Lenny 1999Lili 2002Luis 1995Marilyn 1995Michelle 2001Mitch 1998Noel 2007Opal 1995Paloma 2008Rita 2005Roxanne 1995Stan 2005Tomas 2010Wilma 2005

[Juliancolton]

Yeah, no brainer... the US seems to retire landfalling hurricanes quite liberally (as opposed to places like Mexico and Haiti, which never retire anything).

[Sunny and Warm]

Yeah, no brainer... the US seems to retire landfalling hurricanes quite liberally (as opposed to places like Mexico and Haiti, which never retire anything).

Gilbert was retired, and hit only Mexico, and twice at that.

[CooL]

We are gonna run out of names because the criteria to retire names is so low. I vote no, but thats more of an opinion.

[Juliancolton]

Gilbert was retired, and hit only Mexico, and twice at that.

I meant "never" more figuratively than literally... my point being that there are several of logical candidates (Alex and Karl '10, for example) that Mexico didn't request to retire. Also, Gilbert caused severe damage in Jamaica and Haiti (as well as some of the Lesser Antilles). I'm actually not sure who retired Gilbert.

[Sunny and Warm]

I meant "never" more figuratively than literally... my point being that there are several of logical candidates (Alex and Karl '10, for example) that Mexico didn't request to retire. Also, Gilbert caused severe damage in Jamaica and Haiti (as well as some of the Lesser Antilles). I'm actually not sure who retired Gilbert.

Gilbert was retired because of Mexico strength and damage. Period.

Edit: Hurricane Gilbert was an extremely powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane that formed during the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season and created widespread destruction in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It is the second most intense hurricane ever observed in the Atlantic basin behind only Hurricane Wilma of the very active 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. Gilbert was also one of the largest tropical cyclones ever observed in the Atlantic basin. At one point, its tropical storm-force winds measured 588 mi (946 km) in diameter. In addition, Gilbert was the most intense tropical cyclone to strike Mexico, slightly ahead of Hurricane Dean in 2007.

The seventh named storm and third hurricane of the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season, Gilbert developed from a tropical wave on September 8 while 400 mi (640 km) east of Barbados. After it intensified into a tropical storm on September 9, Gilbert steadily strengthened as it tracked west-northwestward into the Caribbean Sea, and became a hurricane on the following day. Gilbert quickly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane on September 11, and made landfall on the island of Jamaica on September 12. Rapid intensification occurred after Gilbert crossed Jamaica, and the storm became a Category 5 hurricane late on September 13. Gilbert weakened slightly, and made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula later that day while still at Category 5 hurricane. Gilbert significantly weakened over the Yucatan Peninsula, and was only a Category 2 hurricane when it emerged into the Gulf of Mexico on September 15. Re-intensification occurred gradually as Gilbert tracked across the Gulf of Mexico, and the storm was a Category 4 hurricane when it made landfall in mainland Mexico on September 16. Gilbert weakened after landfall, and eventually dissipated on September 19 over the Midwest

Gilbert wreaked havoc in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico for nearly nine days. In total, it killed 433 people and caused about $7.1 billion (1988 USD, $13.2 billion 2011 USD) in damages over the course of its path. As a result of the effects, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Gilbert in the spring of 1989, and was replaced with Gordon.

[andyhb]

Definitely.

As for Gilbert, it made landfall as a Cat 5 and killed over 300 people, sooo...

Edit: over 400 people.

[Juliancolton]

Gilbert was retired because of Mexico strength and damage. Period.

You're missing my point. Mexico may not have requested retirement of the name. (In fact, I've just received unofficial word from a friend that Gilbert may have been procedurally retired by the NHC, since it was still on the list in '89.) A country has to request retirement of a name for the WMO to consider and apply or deny the request, a process Mexico and some other countries rarely undertake.

Edit: Yeah, I know what Gilbert did.

[donsutherland1]

Yes. The flooding, especially in parts of NJ, SE NY, and VT was memorable.

[WishingForWarmWeather]

I believe so. The flooding from Irene has been extensive and expansive; not to mention the 4 million+ without power, and the deaths (however senseless some may have been). For the aforementioned reasons I believe that she has a great chance of being retired.

[andyhb]

On another note, it looks like Irene is going to further augment the list of billion dollar weather disasters this year, which has now reached the double digits.

[NickD2011]

While a category 1 hurricane hitting the US seems like nothing, Irene will be retired because of the flooding and the area that it hit.

[Scotty Lightning]

While a category 1 hurricane hitting the US seems like nothing, Irene will be retired because of the flooding and the area that it hit.

[HurricaneJosh]

If Gloria, Bob, and David are retired, then Irene WILL be retired.

David was lame in the USA, but it was a major catastrophe in the Dominican Republic, where it came ashore very close to Santo Domingo as a Cat 5.

Also, while not exactly whoppers, Gloria and Bob were full-blown hurricanes when they hit the Northeast USA.

Given this, I'm not sure I understand the comparisons you're making with Irene.

[A-L-E-X]

David was lame in the USA, but it was a major catastrophe in the Dominican Republic, where it came ashore very close to Santo Domingo as a Cat 5.

Also, while not exactly whoppers, Gloria and Bob were full-blown hurricanes when they hit the Northeast USA.

Given this, I'm not sure I understand the comparisons you're making with Irene.

Josh, based on all the extensive flooding reports and the fact that both were Cat 1's at first landfall, how would you compare Irene to Agnes?

[RevWarReenactor]

If the storm had hit South Carolina and moved directly westm it never would have been retired, but because it hit the northeast, of course it will be.

Even though I don't think it was a hurricane when it hit NJ. Center went right over us and was devoid of any wind. Still a historic storm for the area.

[Chris L]

Yes. It will be retired.

The damage and flooding across the NYC metro area was very impressive and historic.

[Mr Torchey]

David was lame in the USA, but it was a major catastrophe in the Dominican Republic, where it came ashore very close to Santo Domingo as a Cat 5.

Also, while not exactly whoppers, Gloria and Bob were full-blown hurricanes when they hit the Northeast USA.

Given this, I'm not sure I understand the comparisons you're making with Irene.

You should have traveled to ct to see a REAL surge of 8-9 feet, unbelievable up here in Long Island Sound.

[HurricaneJosh]

Josh, based on all the extensive flooding reports and the fact that both were Cat 1's at first landfall, how would you compare Irene to Agnes?

Hard to say just yet. Agnes was really big. Remember, when you and I were growing up, Agnes was the costliest hurricane in American history.

I will say this: the extent of the flooding would seem to justify retirement.

[am19psu]

Hard to say just yet. Agnes was really big. Remember, when you and I were growing up, Agnes was the costliest hurricane in American history.

I will say this: the extent of the flooding would seem to justify retirement.

I think Floyd is by far the much closer analog to this storm. This is now 3rd on the US fatality list since 1980. It's obviously going to be retired.

[HurricaneJosh]

You should have traveled to ct to see a REAL surge of 8-9 feet, unbelievable up here in Long Island Sound.

I saw your pics in the other thread-- great stuff! Really dramatic.

[e pluribus unum]

Gilbert was retired because of Mexico strength and damage. Period.

Gilbert got down to 888mb and it also devastated Jamaica. Not sure what you're talking about.

[wxmx]

Gilbert got down to 888mb and it also devastated Jamaica. Not sure what you're talking about.

Well, change Gilbert with Stan... a Cat 1. I think Mexico's stance about retirement has to do more with fatalities than anything else.

[Ed Lizard]

I've seen impressive U-Tubes from the Bahamas. I think the Bahamas might ask for retirement.

[Sunny and Warm]

Gilbert got down to 888mb and it also devastated Jamaica. Not sure what you're talking about.

no kidding... Since I didn't mention it, I didn't talk about it. I was only pointing out the Mexico argument. Didn't think I needed to quote its long, sordid life.

[Mallow]

If the storm had hit South Carolina and moved directly westm it never would have been retired, but because it hit the northeast, of course it will be.

Even though I don't think it was a hurricane when it hit NJ. Center went right over us and was devoid of any wind. Still a historic storm for the area.

You clearly don't understand how tropical cyclones work.

[Ian]

im surprised at the number of "no" answers

[HurricaneJosh]

You clearly don't understand how tropical cyclones work.

It's so hawt when you get all correct and tropical-dude like.

im surprised at the number of "no" answers

Yeah. Even though this doesn't qualify as a "catastrophe" for me, I feel it's an obvious slam dunk for retirement, given the significant flooding impacts in NJ, NY, and VT.

[PSUBlizzicane2007]

If Agnes and Allison can get retired, so can Irene. The inland flooding from this storm has been ridiculous.