Storms Dean, Felix & Noel Retired
International Committee Retires Noteworthy Hurricanes from Name List
Meteorologists met in Orlando, Florida to adjust the 2013 names list for tropical cyclones. Hurricanes Dean, Felix & Noel were retired from the list of available names.
Dean, Felix, and Noel have been retired. Being three of the most damaging storms of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, they were removed from the list of potential storm names that will be available for use in 2013. During its 30th annual membership meeting in Orlando, Florida, the Hurricane Committee of the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) Regional Association IV revamped the list of names available for tropical cyclones. Regional Association IV represents the Caribbean, North and Central America for the WMO.
Regional Association IV's Hurricane Committee can remove the names of significantly damaging storms from future use. Dean, Felix, and Noel caused great damage and loss of life in 2007 and have been retired. Committee members replaced the names with Dorian, Fernand, and Nestor. Lists of potential names are issued every six years and the new list will go into use in 2013. Tropical cyclones have been named since 1953. A total of 70 names have been retired since that time. The first two names to be retired were Carol and Hazel in 1954.
Details of Significant 2007 Hurricanes:
Hurricane Dean originated from a tropical wave that crossed the west coast of Africa on 11 August 2007. It moved through the Caribbean region as a major hurricane, making landfall with Category 5 strength on the Yucatan Peninsula. Dean was the first Atlantic hurricane to reach Category 5 strength since Andrew in 1992. Dean caused 32 deaths, destroyed 1,300 homes and caused significant economic damage in Hati, Mexico, Jamaica, Dominica and St. Lucia.
Hurricane Felix was the second hurricane of the 2007 Atlantic season to reach land. It's described as a small, yet powerful Category 5 hurricane that departed the coast of Africa on 24 August 2007. Felix passed near the Netherlands Antilles and then crossed into northern Nicaragua at Category 5 strength. Felix was responsible for 130 deaths in Nicaragua and Honduras, caused substantial inland flooding throughout Central America, and damaged structure from Puerto Cabezas northward. Minor damage occurred in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao from wind and high surf.
Hurricane Noel tracked across Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba as a slow moving tropical storm from 25 to 31 October 2007. It reached Category 1 hurricane strength over the northwestern Bahamas on 1 November 2007. The storm moved quickly towards Nantucket Island, Massachusetts with wind speeds of 75 knots and weakened as it made landfall near Chebogue Point, Nova Scotia. At least 160 died from the passage of Noel, with some 78,000 people in the Dominican Republic forced to remain in emergency shelters for two weeks while it rained continuously. There was extensive property damage in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas. As the storm reached the United States, it caused severe beach erosion, but was not held directly responsible for any property damage.
Names readied by the WMO for the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season are Arthur, Bertha, Christobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike, Josephine, Kyle, Laura, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky, and Wilfred.
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