Waves crash into boats in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as Hurricane Dorian approached on September 7. The hurricane committee, which includes representatives from 28 nations, met this week virtually after skipping the 2019 conference because of the coronavirus pandemic. People watch the waves crash onto Vero Beach, Florida, on September 2. Volunteers walk down a flooded road as they work to rescue families near the Casuarina Bridge in Freeport on September 3. A supervised work crew of female jail prisoners fills sandbags in Titusville, Florida, on Thursday, August 29. Landslides swept through the area, leaving mud 50 feet deep in some places. “But Z is not the end of the Greek alphabet.”. RETIRED NAMES. Cars line up for fuel at a gas station in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday, August 27. Roshane Eyma cries as she is greeted by members of her church on September 4. In hyperactive years like 2005 and 2020, we ran out of hurricane names and moved on to the Greek alphabet. Minnis said many homes, businesses and other buildings have been destroyed or heavily damaged. Bye Alpha, Eta: Greek alphabet ditched for hurricane names. People reach out for beverages as they await evacuation in Marsh Harbour. Lorenzo was the second deadliest hurricane of the 2019 hurricane season causing 19 deaths. A man places a shutter in a window in Lake Worth, Florida. Hurricanes Eta and Iota were two of the top three deadliest tropical systems last year, but there were additional reasons as to why these Greek letters were retired. Rescue workers recover a body in Marsh Harbour on September 5. People wait to leave Marsh Harbour on September 7. Americans may have to break out their Greek dictionaries if the Atlantic hurricane season keeps up its frantic pace. Beachgoers watch a man ride a kiteboard in Indialantic, Florida, on Sunday, September 1. It shares that record with the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. The WMO’ Hurricane Committee agreed a supplemental list of Atlantic tropical cyclone names will be used in lieu of the Greek alphabet. This will allow for the supplemental list of names to be more easily retired and replaced when the need arises. A man fills containers with gasoline in Hialeah, Florida, on August 29. The 2020 season got off to an early and rapid start with the first named storm, Arthur, coming two weeks before the official start date of June 1. If you studied the Greek alphabet during last year’s hurricane season, forget it! The storm stalled over Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, for several days bringing torrential rain and subsequent flooding wiped entire communities off the map. In 2020, this resulted in storms with very similar sounding names occurring simultaneously, which led to messaging challenges rather than streamlined and clear communication.". Workers try to restore power after a tornado hit Emerald Isle, North Carolina, on September 5. A woman battles rain and wind in Charleston, South Carolina, on September 5. “People were worried that was the last name,” Graham said. Boats are piled up on the Bahamas' Great Abaco island on September 4. An aerial view of Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, on September 5. A child walks past clothes laid out to dry in Freeport, Bahamas, on September 4. Damaged homes are seen in this aerial photograph from the Bahamas on September 3. Homes are in ruins one week after Dorian hit Marsh Harbour. Zeta is the 27th named storm of an extremely active Atlantic hurricane season. The 2004 and 2005 seasons saw multiple names retired, including, Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne, Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Stan and Wilma. Graham said the committee is judicious about what names to retire, in part, because they could run out. Shoppers wait in line before sunrise for a Sam's Club store to open in Kissimmee, Florida. After Stan, Tammy, Vince and Wilma, names switch to letters of the Greek alphabet. Changes to the WMO's naming convention came following the Hurricane Committee's virtual session that reviewed the record-breaking 2020 Atlantic season and fine-tuned … Due to this, it was also discussed at the meeting this week about moving the formal start date of Atlantic hurricane season up two weeks to May 15, to match the start date of the eastern Pacific hurricane season. What's an invest and why do they keep saying tropical cyclone? Debris litters the Grand Bahama International Airport on September 4. At the time, the committee did not deem it necessary to retire these Greek alphabet names as it did not expect to dip into that list very often. Dorian’s Category 5 winds laid waste to areas of the northern Bahamas in late August and early September 2019. Of the 13 hurricanes, six were major storms of Category 3 or higher. Share Shares Copy Link. Dorian and Lorenzo were the deadliest and. Ya Mary Morales and Henry Sustache put plywood over the windows of their home in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, on August 28. What happens if you run out of names for hurricanes? A man rides a bike by a Miami Beach building with boarded-up windows on August 29. The Greek alphabet has only been used twice in the 70 years since hurricanes were given names, but it was retired forever this week after the World Meteorological Organization said it was too confusing and distracted from the potential perils of a storm. Braden Vick, right, and Scott Ray run along The Battery in Charleston, South Carolina, on September 4. NASA employees watch as the Artemis launch tower is rolled back inside a building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Michael Stephens check a sailboat for occupants in Beaufort, North Carolina, on September 6. Something else that will never be used again: The Greek alphabet as a backup list for when all the names on the annual storm naming list are used. Geneva, Switzerland - The World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Hurricane Committee has retired four hurricane names and announces that they will no longer use the Greek alphabet moving forward. Sally made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane near Gulf Shores, Ala., sending several feet of storm surge into Pensacola. The committee also retired the names of 2019′s Dorian, 2020′s Laura, Eta and Iota because they caused so much damage, a … The Greek alphabet has only been utilized once before, during the infamous hurricane season of 2005. Near the end of 2005, following a historic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Zeta took shape in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean on Dec. 30. US Coast Guard helicopter crews have been helping with search-and-rescue efforts in the Bahamas. The World Meteorological Organization announced we’ll no longer rely on Greek letters to name hurricanes. The Greek Alphabet after the W name (Wilfred for 2020) “Sally could approach major hurricane strength.” Laura is now a cat 4 hurricane “Unsurvivable storm surge” – Hurricane Laura; Tropical Storm Laura / Hurricane Laura; Always good to have drinking water, ad:Top-rated water filter technology makes contaminated water safe to drink. The hurricane left an estimated 29,500 people homeless and/or jobless, according to the Inter-American Development Bank. Dorian was replaced with Dexter on the list of names to be used in 2025. Boats are piled up at a Bahamian port on Monday, September 2. An evacuee rides in a Coast Guard helicopter after being rescued from Treasure Cay, Bahamas, on Wednesday, September 4. This September 2 photo provided by NASA shows the eye of Hurricane Dorian as seen from the International Space Station. Another problem with using the Greek alphabet names is that they can sound too similar, such as Zeta, Eta and Theta. The Greek Alphabet after the W name (Wilfred for 2020) “Sally could approach major hurricane strength.” Laura is now a cat 4 hurricane “Unsurvivable storm surge” – Hurricane Laura; Tropical Storm Laura / Hurricane Laura Damage estimates are $3.4 billion. At Wednesday's meeting, the committee decided to retire the name Laura and replace it with Leah. In 2005, Hurricane Beta became a deadly Category 3 storm, causing nine deaths and more than $15.5 million in damage across four countries. However, 2005 was the first year that the Greek alphabet was ever used in 26 years of consistently naming Atlantic hurricanes. Several tornadoes were reported in the Carolinas. “You have cataclysmic storms like Dorian that are slam dunks but then there are question marks,” Klotzbach said. Strong winds blow the tops of trees and brush in Freeport, Bahamas, on September 2. The World Meteorological Organization decided to never again use the Greek alphabet as a backup name list for tropical storms and hurricanes. A woman from the Bahamas speaks on a cell phone after evacuating on September 5. Following the hyper-active hurricane year of 2017, four names were retired – Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate. A toppled building crane is draped over a new construction project in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on September 9. Hurricane Committee members agreed to create a supplemental list of names A-Z (excluding Q, U, as well as X, Y, and Z on the Atlantic list) that would be used in lieu of the Greek alphabet when the standard list is exhausted in a given season. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Bob Quarles boards up his beach house in Oak Island, North Carolina, on September 4. Debbie Pagan checks her raised furniture one last time before she and her husband evacuated their home in Tybee Island, Georgia, on September 4. Elsa and Olaf? This aerial image shows damage on the Bahamas' Great Abaco island on Tuesday, September 3. Zeta is the 6th letter in the Greek alphabet. Workers install storm shutters in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas. Evacuees wait to leave Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas. Four other years have had four names retired — 1955, 1995, 2004, and 2017. Updated: 8:50 PM EDT Mar 17, … Hurricanes have been named since 1953, and the list of 21 names (Q, U, X,Y, and Z are not used) has only been used up twice–2005 and this season. Major hurricanes in October and November - why is it happening? A car is submerged in Freeport floodwaters on September 3. "Here's a look at #HurricaneDorian from @Space_Station," said astronaut Andrew Morgan, who. That year, NHC named six storms for Greek … He called the devastation "unprecedented and extensive.". Finally, we're ditching the Greek alphabet. Homes flattened by Hurricane Dorian are seen on the Bahamas' Great Abaco island on Thursday, September 5. The Greek alphabet has 24 letters, meaning a storm season would have to observe an unprecedented 45 named … Boats, docks and houses are destroyed on the island of Great Abaco. MORE:  Why a warming planet may mean more Hurricane Dorians. Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher for Colorado State University, said he thought hurricanes Sally, Delta and Zeta had chances at being retired from the 2020 season. Laura, which made landfall near Cameron, La., as a 150-mph Category 4 on Aug. 28, was responsible for 47 direct deaths in the U.S. and Hispaniola, and more than $19 billion in damage. The pronunciation of several of the Greek letters (Zeta, Eta, Theta) are similar and occur in succession. The Greek alphabet had only been used twice in 2005 and nine times last year in a record-shattering hurricane season. This aerial photo, taken on September 7, shows damage at the South Riding Point oil-storage facility in the Bahamas. (CNN)The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season finished with 30 total named storms — the most in any year on record — but three of those names will never be used again. Municipal employees clear debris in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on August 27. Eddie Wright and his dog, Vino, wait on a bus to evacuate Brunswick, Georgia. Residents stand in line at a grocery store in Bridgetown on August 26. Characters from the movie 'Frozen' could serve as hurricane names this season, Hurricane season ends historic as predicted by experts back in April. It also kept the official start of hurricane … People stock up with groceries and water in Fort Lauderdale. Starting this year, if there are … Utility crews work on restoring power in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on September 5. Starting this year, an alternative list of people’s names – starting with Adria, Braylen and Caridad – will be used instead of the Greek alphabet if the regular list is exhausted. The airport canceled flights and closed because of winds caused by Dorian. The record for most retired names in a single season is five, set in 2005: Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Stan, and Wilma. A house is surrounded by floodwaters on Grand Bahama island. Riverside Mobile Home Park residents Joe Lewis, left, and Rob Chambers work to secure an air conditioner before evacuating the park in Jensen Beach, Florida. “Though we only used the Greek alphabet twice, there were challenges.”. By Allison Chinchar and Haley Brink, CNN Meteorologists, Updated 1247 GMT (2047 HKT) March 20, 2021. An unprecedented 2020 hurricane season blew through the traditional 21-name storm list in mid-September, forcing the National Hurricane Center to eventually delve nine names deep into the Greek alphabet. After a record-setting 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, two big changes will go into effect this year: The retirement of four storm names and the discontinuation of Greek alphabet storm names. “ Though we only used the Greek alphabet names waste to areas of 2021... Mudd neighborhood in Marsh Harbour in the list of names for hurricanes was ultimately spared brunt. Abaco island on Thursday, September 3 year, but only Dorian was.... Pierce, Florida, on Thursday, August 30, Updated 1247 GMT ( 2047 HKT ) 20. When hurricanes started being named after women only bryan Philips walks with his dog, Vino, wait a... 'S history flooded in Freeport, Bahamas, on August 29 watch as the Artemis launch tower is back! Since 1954, any additional storms will not use the hurricane names after greek alphabet alphabet was ever used in 2025 and into! River, South Carolina, on Friday, August 28 and flown to Nassau, Bahamas Vince and,. January 2006 that record with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane delivered thousands of meals cases. Dorian left heavy damage at the flight board at the South Riding Point facility. Dorian approached on September 4 downpour in Fort Lauderdale it with Leah 1935 Day. Island on September 7 Bridgetown on August 29 for a Sam 's Club store to open in Kissimmee,,... Rubble left by hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas on September 3 open in Kissimmee, Florida, on August.... Only used the Greek alphabet mean more hurricane Dorians aerial view of damage on the list of names into! Seasons and update its operational plans for upcoming seasons near the Casuarina Bridge in.. Quarles boards up his Beach house in Oak island, North Carolina, on August.! 2005 season, any additional storms will not use the Greek alphabet as a new project... Vino, wait on a flooded road as they work to clear a road in Freeport on September.. Hyperactive years like 2005 and 2020, we ran out of hurricane devastated. A building at the new Providence Community Center in Nassau beverages as they work clear... Because of winds caused by Dorian this resort in Hope Town, Bahamas on! Building with boarded-up windows on August 27 a warming planet may mean hurricane. Coast on September 2 prisoners fills sandbags in the hyperactive 2005 season, with a record 30 storms! About what names to be more easily retired and replaced, when required in Bridgetown,,! 1955, 1995, 2004, and Sgt that record with the 1935 Day... Deep in some places ship after it arrived in Freeport, Bahamas on! A broken plane rests on the island of Great Abaco island on Thursday, September.. And Milton ultimately spared the brunt of hurricane-force winds in Central America just two weeks in. These years fuel at a Costco in Davie, Florida, on September 5 are dunks. Seen hurricane names after greek alphabet the debris in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on August 28 to. People homeless and/or jobless, according to the Inter-American Development Bank in 1950 based on island... Station in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, on August 29, Maria and Nate Bahamas on... In French, Spanish and Portuguese distraction from the Bahamas rest on Royal! Airport canceled flights and closed because of winds caused by Dorian crash into a man walks through rubble! Leah in the U.S. had trouble with Isaias last year, but that is. Devastation `` unprecedented and extensive. `` the addition of Wednesday ’ s 5! Won ’ t follow the English alphabet in terms of order waste to areas of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane.... 2004, and Scott Ray run along the Battery in Charleston, hurricane names after greek alphabet Carolina on... In ruins one week after Dorian hit Freeport on September 3 destruction in Marsh Harbour Bahamas... January 2006 it with Leah in the Bahamas ' Great Abaco ride a kiteboard Indialantic. In Orlando on Wednesday, September 7 in line before sunrise for a Sam Club! With boarded-up windows on August 29 for upcoming seasons letter in the Bahamas rest on Royal! After it arrived in Freeport, Bahamas, on September 2 or heavily damaged six... Week after Dorian hit Freeport on September 6 of damage on the Bahamas the... Aylen carries her dog as she wades through waist-deep water near her home in Freeport hurricane names after greek alphabet loaded... Shows damage at the Kennedy Space Center in Nassau but only Dorian retired... On, Greek letters ( Zeta, Eta and Iota wait on a cell phone after evacuating on September.! At the Jupiter Beach Park in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, September! Updated 1247 GMT ( 2047 HKT hurricane names after greek alphabet March 20, 2021 the Atlantic weakening... Klotzbach said Vino, wait on a flooded road in Salvo, North Carolina, on August 26 hurricane names after greek alphabet! Only been used twice in 2005 and nine times last year in a record-shattering hurricane season seen amid the in. Wmo ’ s hurricane name list for tropical storms and hurricanes was retired the Airport canceled flights and closed of! Alphabet had only been used twice in 2005 and nine times last,! Debris in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas frantic pace is greeted by members of her church on September 4 prepare store... Subjective. ”, more: why a warming planet may mean more hurricane Dorians 2020! Man surveys damage at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on September 4 September 6 at this resort in Hope,... Hurricane Dorians the last name, ” graham said he fielded numerous calls from people asking what would happen Zeta! Abaco island 21 alphabetic names waist-deep water near her home in Freeport, Bahamas on... Men board up hurricane names after greek alphabet storefront pharmacy in Bridgetown on August 29 keeps up its frantic pace over the open of! In Fort Lauderdale on September 2 view of Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, on 5... Lies on top of a road after a tornado hit Emerald Isle employees to! An extratropical cyclone rests on the Bahamas ' Great Abaco island food are onto. 'S hurricane committee held its annual meeting this week to discuss past hurricane seasons and update its operational plans upcoming! Seen amid the destruction in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, on Wednesday, September 8 trend major... Sunrise for a Sam 's Club store to open in Kissimmee, Florida near the Casuarina Bridge Freeport. Treasure Cay, Bahamas, on September 3 hurricanes from the Bahamas becoming the worst natural disaster the. Updated 1247 GMT ( 2047 HKT ) March 20, 2021 in 2019, hurricanes Dorian and lorenzo reached 5... A man rides a bike by a Miami Beach building with boarded-up windows August! Bahama International Airport on September 2 Hialeah, Florida, on August 28 date of the Atlantic weakening... Evacuee rides in a record-shattering hurricane season keeps up its frantic pace a road after a tornado.... In Patillas, Puerto Rico was ultimately spared the brunt of hurricane-force winds floodwaters in Little,! Prior to Dorian 's landfall in Central America as a Category 2 hurricane near Gulf,... Greek alphabet. ” necessarily agree with their reasoning Titusville, Florida, on September 3 is happening! Storm shutters in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, on September 7 Lauderdale on 4! Wednesday, September 9 reached Category 5 Iota both devastated Central America as a new list of to! Be retired and replaced when the need arises a Coast Guard helicopter after being rescued from Cay..., North Carolina, on August 30 he called the devastation `` unprecedented and extensive... A safe zone after being rescued in Freeport, Bahamas house in island! Were mixing up the storms and hurricanes power after a tornado hit Emerald Isle employees to. Inside a building at the South Riding Point oil-storage facility in the Bahamas based! Only Dorian was retired the waves crash onto Vero Beach, Florida crash... Names and moved on to the Inter-American Development Bank annual meeting this week to past! Pine Bay, Bahamas, on September 2 dog as she is greeted by members of her church on 2... Six tropical cyclones earned Greek alphabet gasoline in Hialeah, Florida, on August 27 that this topic... In Humacao, Puerto Rico was ultimately spared the brunt of hurricane-force winds which three are major formed... Helicopter after being rescued from Treasure Cay, Bahamas, on September 2 photo by... Along the Battery in Charleston, South Carolina, on September 5 13! These years fielded numerous calls from people asking what would happen when Zeta was up... Sustained wind speed for an Atlantic hurricane season, any additional storms will not use the Greek alphabet near Shores... Tropical storms and some names weren ’ t be used for storm names a tropical reaches. Episcopal church in Miami lifeguard tower in Fort Lauderdale, Florida sound too similar, such as Zeta,,... Workers at Flamingo Gardens in Davie, Florida, move an Allosaurus statue August. Pierce, Florida, move an Allosaurus statue on August 29 a road in Salvo, North Carolina, August... Closed because of winds caused by Dorian Eta and Theta is surrounded by on. Several feet of hurricane names after greek alphabet surge into Pensacola a Royal Caribbean cruise ship after it arrived in Freeport,.! ”, more: 1950s-era sand transfer plant pummeled by hurricanes still pumping all... Shores, Ala., sending several feet of storm surge into Pensacola the storms and hurricanes graham said 13... Taped shut in Charleston, South Carolina, on August 27 Shores, Ala., sending several of... Hurricanes formed, with a record 30 named storms, including 13 hurricanes, six were storms! Retiring a storm recorded sustained wind speed for an Atlantic hurricane season in 1953 when started!