Hurricane names are assigned from a series of six discrete lists, which rotate year after year. As such, it's possible to repeat names every seven years.
In most cases, this isn't a problem, but if a particular named hurricane causes a lot of damage and deaths, for sensitivity reasons the World Meteorological Organization may decide to retire the name. Rather than repeat it, and replace it with a new name that starts with the same letter. For instance, hurricane Andrew was retired in the spring of 1993 and replaced on the list with "Alex" in 1998. [How Are Hurricanes Named? ]
There is an exception to the retirement rule, however. Before 1979, when the first permanent six-year storm name list began, some storm names were simply not used anymore. For example, in 1966, "Fern" was substituted for "Frieda," and no reason was cited.
Here is a list of all the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico hurricane names that have been retired since 1954. (Many destructive storms are not included on this list because they occurred before the hurricane naming convention was established in 1950.)
Agnes - 1972
Alicia - 1983
Allen - 1980
Allison - 2001
Andrew - 1992
Anita - 1977
Audrey - 1957
Betsy - 1965
Beulah - 1967
Bob - 1991
Camille - 1969
Carla - 1961
Carmen - 1974
Carol - 1954
Celia - 1970
Cesar - 1996
Charley - 2004
Cleo - 1964
Connie - 1955
David - 1979
Dean - 2007
Dennis - 2005
Diana - 1990
Diane - 1955
Donna - 1960
Dora - 1964
Edna - 1968
Elena - 1985
Eloise - 1975
Fabian - 2003
Felix - 2007
Fifi - 1974
Flora - 1963
Floyd - 1999
Fran - 1996
Frances - 2004
Frederic - 1979
Georges - 1998
Gilbert - 1988
Gloria - 1985
Gustav - 2008
Hattie - 1961
Hazel - 1954
Hilda - 1964
Hortense - 1996
Hugo - 1989
Igor - 2010
Ike - 2008
Inez - 1966
Ione - 1955
Irene - 2011
Iris - 2001
Isabel - 2003
Isidore -2002
Ivan - 2004
Janet - 1955
Jeanne - 2004
Joan - 1988
Juan - 2003
Katrina - 2005
Keith - 2000
Klaus - 1990
Lenny - 1999
Lili - 2002
Luis - 1995
Marilyn - 1995
Michelle - 2001
Mitch - 1998
Noel - 2007
Opal - 1995
Paloma - 2008
Rita - 2005
Roxanne - 1995
Stan - 2005
Tomas - 2010
Wilma - 2005
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