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.”
Two hurricanes hit Georgia in 2024, one being a Category 2 storm. Helene wreaked havoc across Georgia and the Carolinas, leaving more than 200 people dead.
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.
How many hurricanes hit Georgia in 2024?
Hurricane Helene, Category 4, came across Georgia in late September. It brought severe winds, heavy rain, surges of 15-20 feet and mass flooding.
Helene caused 220 deaths total, 37 of them in Georgia.
Hurricane Debby, Category 1, brought 14 inches of rain to Southeastern states, including Georgia.
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.”
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 the entire list of 21 names is used in a season, a supplemental list of names will be used.
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.
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season could bring:
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.
Eleven became hurricanes, with winds of 74 mph or greater.
Five intensified to major hurricanes, with winds of 111 mph or greater, which are Category 3 or higher storms.
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:
Beryl: June 28-July 9. Maximum sustained winds, 165 mph
Helene: Sept. 24-27. Maximum sustained winds, 140 mph
Kirk: Sept. 29-Oct. 7. Maximum sustained winds, 145 mph
Milton: Oct. 5-10. Maximum sustained winds, 180 mph
Rafael: Nov. 3-10. Maximum sustained winds, 115 mph.
A major hurricane is one that is Category 3 or higher, with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph.
Hurricanes in 2024:
Debby: Aug. 3-9. Maximum sustained winds, 80 mph
Ernesto: Aug. 12-20. Maximum sustained winds, 100 mph
Francine: Sept. 9-12. Maximum sustained winds, 100 mph
Isaac: Sept. 26-30. Maximum sustained winds, 105 mph
Leslie: Oct. 2-12. Maximum sustained winds, 105 mph
Oscar: Oct. 19-22. Maximum sustained winds, 85 mph
Stay informed. Get weather alerts via text
What’s next?
We will continue to update our weather coverage as conditions warrant. Download your local site’s app to ensure you’re always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here.
Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Beryl, Helene, Milton gone from list of hurricane names. See their replacements