Say goodbye to Beryl, Helene and Milton.
The World Meteorological Committee officially retired the names from the list of hurricane names “because of the death and destruction these storms caused in 2024.”
Three hurricanes hit the Florida in 2024, and two of them were major hurricanes, which are those that are Category 3 or stronger.
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Beryl was the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin and had a major impact in the Caribbean.
A nation hit hardest by a devastating storm can request its name be removed because use of the name again would be insensitive. The WMO decides whether to retire a name.
What names were retired from list of 2024 hurricane names?
“The WMO Hurricane Committee has retired the names Beryl, Helene and Milton from its Atlantic basin name list … because of the death and destruction these storms caused in 2024,” the World Meteorological Organization announced April 2.
“The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity,” according to the WMO.
What hurricane names will replace Beryl, Helene and Milton?
Brianna, Holly, Miguel will replace Beryl, Helene and Milton on the rotating list of hurricane names.
When a storm name is retired from the Atlantic’s list, member countries of the WMO from that region select a new name.
For Atlantic storms, the name can be French, Spanish or English, reflecting the languages of residents of countries that could be hit by a hurricane.
Florida was hit by 3 hurricanes in 2024, including Helene and Milton
Florida was hit by three hurricanes in 2024: Debby, Helene and Milton.
The year tied with 1871, 1886, 1964, 2004 and 2005 for the most Florida landfalling hurricanes on record in a single season, according to Philip Klotzbach, meteorologist at Colorado State University specializing in Atlantic basin seasonal hurricane forecasts.
Hurricane Debby
Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Milton
Hurricane Beryl was earliest Atlantic Category 5 storm on record
Hurricane Beryl was the earliest Atlantic basin Category 5 hurricane on record, with major impacts in the Caribbean, the WMO said.
“It made landfall as a Category 4 Hurricane on 1 July in Grenada and its dependencies, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The torrential rains, huge waves and powerful winds caused severe flooding and widespread devastation on Carriacou and Petite Martinique in Grenada. Significant damage was sustained on Carriacou and Petite Martinique, with upward of 98% of homes damaged or destroyed.
“Beryl also affected Jamaica, the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, and made a final landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in the United States. Beryl is responsible for 34 direct fatalities across the region.”
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as Category 4 storm
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm on the Florida Gulf Coast on Sept. 26.
“The storm caused catastrophic flooding across the southern Appalachians, widespread wind damage from the Gulf Coast to the North Carolina mountains and storm surge flooding along portions of west coast of Florida,” the WMO said.
“Helene was the deadliest hurricane to affect the continental U.S. since Katrina in 2005, with more than 248 fatalities, the majority of which occurred in North Carolina and South Carolina.
“Damage was estimated at $78.7 billion making it the seventh costliest U.S. hurricane (adjusted to 2024 values).”
Hurricane Milton spawned deadly tornadoes across Florida
Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane near Siesta Key on Oct. 9.
“Milton’s rate of rapid intensification was among the highest ever observed and at its peak it was Category 5 intensity over the Gulf of Mexico,” the WMO said.
“Milton caused 15 fatalities (12 in the U.S.) and an estimated $34.3 billion in damages. The storm produced a historic and deadly tornado outbreak across Florida.”
WMO maintains 6 lists of hurricane names
The WMO maintains six lists of hurricane names in the Atlantic basin and separate lists for the Pacific basin. There are 21 names on each list.
The six lists are used on a rotating basis, so names from the list used in 2025 will appear again in 2031.
What are the 2025 hurricane names?
Here are the names for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, along with how to pronounce them:
What if we run out of hurricane names in 2025?
If all 21 names on the list for that year are used, names from a supplemental list are used.
The supplemental list, also approved by the WMO, replaced the use of names using the Greek alphabet in 2021.
For Atlantic storms, the supplemental list of names are:
Predictions for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season
AccuWeather is predicting 2025 could be a year with “volatile hurricanes” and warns storms could rapidly intensify shortly before making landfall.
➤ ‘Volatile hurricanes’ in AccuWeather 2025 hurricane season predictions. What Florida can expect
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season could bring:
Florida weather expert WeatherTiger predicting 16-21 tropical storms, 7-9 hurricanes
“Early indications are that 2025 might tilt busier than usual overall, but is most likely to land in the ballpark of long-term typical U.S. landfall activity,” according to Dr. Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist with WeatherTiger.
Truchelut is a Florida meteorologist who works with the USA TODAY Network.
➤ Flooded with anxiety? 2025 hurricane forecast offers a bit of hope for a more sane season
The 2025 season has a 50-50 shot of landing in the ranges of:
“There’s a 50% chance of 2 or 3 U.S. hurricane landfalls in 2025, with only about a 1-in-8 chance of no U.S. landfalls, against normal odds of reprieve of about 1-in-4.
“There’s also a 50% chance of one or more U.S. major hurricane landfalls in 2025, versus baseline annual odds of about 40%.
When is the 2025 hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
The National Hurricane Center begins posting a tropical outlook, showing any system with potential of developing, starting May 15.
A special advisory will be issued be issued prior to May 15 — which happened March 17 — if something shows potential for development.
When does hurricane season start in 2025? A countdown
How many hurricanes were there during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season?
There were 18 named storms during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, according to NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service.
That’s above the historical average of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
Here were the names of 2024 hurricanes
These were the major hurricanes in 2024:
A major hurricane is one that is Category 3 or higher, with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph.
Hurricanes in 2024:
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 3 names removed from list of hurricane names. See what they are and what will replace them
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
