Retired hurricane names still in rotation despite their disastrous history
The National Hurricane Center said it has only been within the last couple of years, the countries that make up the World Meteorological Organization have agreed to not reuse names or any versions of offsets in other basins.
How do hurricanes get their names?
FOX Weather Meteorologist Kiyana Lewis explains how the World Meteorological Organization manages the names we give to hurricanes and tropical storms.
In early August 2023, the National Hurricane Center was tracking Hurricane Dora in the eastern Pacific, but many historians and weather watchers recall Dora being retired after its disastrous impacts in 1964.
Now it's been retired again.
The name is one of several that have been removed from the Atlantic basin but were added to the naming lists in the Pacific by countries that make up the World Meteorological Organization. But the WMO just retired Dora for the second time – this time from the Pacific basin list – in March 2024.
HURRICANE NAMES DORA, OTIS RETIRED FROM THE PACIFIC LIST AFTER DEADLY WRATH
The original Hurricane Dora struck Northeast Florida in September 1964 and was retired after the season due to its historic damage across the Southeast.
Other names still in rotation in other basins despite being retired in the Atlantic include Hilda (1964) and variations of Andrew (1992) and Sandy (2012).
According to specialists at the National Hurricane Center, it’s not a random act that caused the names to be added to naming lists; they were assigned by members of the WMO decades ago.
Hurricane Dora made landfall in Northeast Florida as a Category 2 storm on September 10, 1964.
(FOX Weather)
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While Dora is now doubly-retired, the names Hilda, Andres and Sandra will continue on the lists until they produce enough destruction to be retired – but this time from lists of a different basin.
Due to the topography of the eastern Pacific, retirements are rather rare as many cyclones head westward away from the coast of Central America and fall apart before reaching Hawaii.
Since the naming regiment for the eastern Pacific cyclones started in the early 1960s, only 21 names have been retired from the region, so odds are likely that forecasters will track many more storms named Dora, Hilda, Andres and Sandra.
![Hurricane Dora Blows into Florida]()
Image 1 of 3Badly damaged beach houses on the Florida coastline, from the effects of Hurricane Dora, September 11th 1964. (Photo by William Lovelace/Express/Getty Images) (Photo by William Lovelace/Express/Getty Images)
![Hurricane Dora Blows into Florida]()
Image 2 of 3A man walks the beach as Hurricane Dora's stormy Atlantic Ocean chews away at beachfront homes. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)
![Hurricane Dora Blows into Florida]()
Image 3 of 3A man walks the beach as Hurricane Dora's stormy Atlantic Ocean chews away at beachfront homes. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)
The NHC said it has only been within the last couple of years that the countries that make up the WMO have agreed not to reuse names or any versions of offsets in other basins.
Forecasters say due to increased coordination, recent retirements and future disastrous cyclones that are removed from naming lists will never be repeated in other basins.
Dan Brown from the NHC credited the worldwide spread of information that was not present decades ago as one of the leading causes for change.
During an average season in the Eastern Pacific, 15 named storms form, eight become hurricanes and four reach major status with winds of at least 115 mph.