San Jose, Costa Rica - The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Hurricane Committee has retired Fiona and Ian from the rotating lists of Atlantic tropical cyclone names because of the death and destruction they caused in Central America, the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada.

Farrah will be used to replace Fiona in the lists of names, whilst Idris will replace Ian when this list next appears in 2028.

WMO began naming storms in 1953 to help raise public awarness of a storm, and communicate potentially life-threatening risks. In the Atlantic Basin, names are repeated every six years, unless a storm is so deadly that its name is retired. In total, 96 names have now been retired from the list. Ida was the last.

Ian drew more attention in the Lower 48. It was a large and powerful hurricane that struck western Cuba and then made landfall in southwestern Florida as a category 4 in late September. Ian caused a devastating storm surge in southwestern Florida. The storm is responsible for over 150 direct and indirect deaths and $112 billion in damages in the United States alone. Ian is the costliest hurricane in Florida’s history and the third costliest in the United States.

Fiona struck communities in the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos. It then moved northward over the western Atlantic and struck Canada as a strong post-tropical cyclone in Mid-September. There was significant damage and loss of life all along its path. The storm brought devastating inland flooding to Puerto Rico where it made landfall as a category 1 hurricane. The storm produced over $3 billion (U.S. dollars) in damage across the Caribbean and Canada and was responsible for 29 direct and indirect deaths. Fiona is the costliest extreme weather event on record in Atlantic Canada.

13 "I" names and 10 "F" names have now been retired. These letters have produced the two most retired names.

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