Fiona and Ian retired as hurricane names by WMO

Posted: Apr 2, 2023 / 07:33 PM CDT

Updated: Apr 5, 2023 / 01:44 PM CDT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The names “Fiona” and “Ian” will no longer be used to name Tropical Storms or Hurricanes in the future. Those names were retired by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) due to the devastation and deaths caused by both storms.

NOAA and WMO has lists of predetermined names to help differentiate between storms. These lists repeat every six years. Names get “retired” from the list if they cause too much death or destruction.

WMO determined “Fiona” and “Ian” would be replaced by the names “Farrah” and “Idris” when last year’s list returns in 2028.

96 names have been retired in the Atlantic basin since 1953, which was when the current naming structure first began.

Storms with a name beginning with “I” have been retired more than any other letter. The retiring of “Ian” adds to a long list of other retired “I” storms that now totals 14.

Retired "I" named storms — Retired “I” named storms

Hurricane Fiona

Hit the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos before moving into Canada as a post-tropical cyclone in September 2022.
In Puerto Rico it caused freshwater flooding after making landfall as a category 1 hurricane
More than $3 billion in damage from the Caribbean to Canada
29 direct and indirect fatalities
Costliest extreme weather event on record in Atlantic Canada

Hurricane Ian

Hit western Cuba as a major category 3 hurricane before making a second landfall in southwestern Florida, as a category 4 hurricane
Devastating storm surge in southwestern Florida
More than $112 billion in damage in the U.S.
150 direct and indirect fatalities
Costliest hurricane in Florida history, third costliest in the U.S.