The World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Hurricane Committee announced today that they are dropping the name “Melissa” off its list of tropical storm/hurricane names in the Atlantic, replacing it with the name “Molly.”
The list of names given to tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic are maintained by the United Nation’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Currently, only tropical cyclones are named in an official capacity; winter storms are not. The World Meteorological Organization from the United Nations develops a list of names for each ocean basin. In the United States, the National Hurricane Center maintains lists from the WMO for Atlantic Basin and eastern Pacific basin storms. Storms that form near Hawaii come from a list managed by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
Storms are named in alphabetical order each season. “It is important to note that tropical cyclones/hurricanes are named neither after any particular person, nor with any preference in alphabetical sequence,” states the WMO. “The tropical cyclone/hurricane names selected are those that are familiar to the people in each region.” These name lists are recycled every 6 years.
Storms responsible for significant death/destruction are retired at annual WMO meetings. During the WMO Region IV Association meeting which ended today, it was determined that Melissa would never be used again. The Region IV Association includes North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
At its peak, Melissa was classified as a category 5 storm based on the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The storm produced devastating storm surge and damaging winds across Jamaica and Cuba and brought extreme rainfall and flooding to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba.
Melissa was responsible for more than 90 deaths across Jamaica, Haiti and the other island nations. Melissa is the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in Jamaica. The storm ties Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas in 2019 and the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane in the USA as the strongest hurricane (in terms of maximum sustained wind speed) to make landfall in the Atlantic basin.
“The risks associated with tropical cyclones are both real and increasing. It only takes one landfalling tropical cyclone to roll back years of development. And this was unfortunately the case with Hurricane Melissa,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
“Recovery will be long and hard. Despite the force of Melissa, loss of life was in the dozens rather than the thousands. This is testimony to the accuracy of advance forecasts and the use of these early warnings to support early action. Hurricane Committee Members can be proud of themselves for saving so many lives and helping to protect key sectors of the economy like transport, energy and fisheries,” she said in an opening video message.
The Hurricane Committee consists of experts from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and represents North America, Central America and the Caribbean (WMO Regional Association IV). It met in Mexico City from 2 to 5 March to review the past season and prepare for the forthcoming one.
“After more than four months since the passage of Melissa over Jamaica, stories about the impacts and recovery continue to dominate the news and media. Melissa has now been engraved in the collective memory of the nation,” said Evan Thompson, Principal Director at Meteorological Service, Jamaica, and President of WMO’s Regional Association IV.
The WMO’s Regional Specialized Meteorological Center Miami is operated by the US National Hurricane Center and is responsible for issuing regular forecasts to guide individual NMHSs to inform decisions on storm preparation, such as closing airports and ordering mass evacuations – as was the case with Melissa.
“Every forecast and warning is a lifeline for real people, and a constant reminder that our work is not just about science, but about saving lives. The strong relationship between the RSMC Miami and the affected members during Melissa demonstrated the partnerships built within the Committee, and our shared commitment to reducing the human and economic impacts of storms such as Melissa throughout the region,” said Michael Brennan, Chair of the Hurricane Committee, Director of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center, and Director of the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre Miami.
