After the second-costliest hurricane in US history, 'Sandy' is removed from list of hurricane names
t's a name the residents of New York
and New Jersey will never forget, but rest assured there will never
again will there be a hurricane called 'Sandy'.
The hurricane which struck the Northeastern United States with devastating impact last October was the second-costliest hurricane in United States history.
At least 285 people were killed along the path of the storm in seven countries.
The damage was particularly severe in New Jersey and New York.
The storm surge hit New York City on 29th October 2012 flooding streets, tunnels, subway lines and cutting power in and around the city.
Preliminary estimates suggest the damage in the US alone is likely to be well over $50 billion. The final figures will be released later this year.
Sandy has been retired from the official list of Atlantic Basin tropical cyclone names by the World Meteorological Organization’s hurricane committee.
It now joins a so-called 'hall
of fame' for retired hurricane names - a move that usually only occurs
when the damage is particularly extreme.
Storm names are reused every six years for both the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific basins.
Meteorologists use six alphabetical lists of names that alternate between male and female names.
One set is used per year and the sets are recycled in the same order.
However, if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of the name would be insensitive or confusing, the WMO hurricane committee may retire the name.
Sandy was a classic late-season hurricane in the southwestern Caribbean Sea.
The cyclone made landfall as a category 1 hurricane in Jamaica, and as a 115 mph category 3 hurricane in eastern Cuba.
Hurricane Sandy merged with a second winter storm hours before making landfall near Brigantine, New Jersey.
Its size and strength caused catastrophic damage all along the mid-Atlantic shoreline.
Sandy was the second costliest hurricane to hit the United States since Katrina in 2005.
Sandy is the 77th name to be retired
from the Atlantic list since 1954 and was the only name retired for
2012. The name will be replaced with 'Sara' beginning in 2018.
In 2011, Irene was the only name taken off the list.
The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs 1 June – 30 November, will use a set last used in 2007. It begins with 'Andrea' and ends with 'Wendy'.
The sets are only 21 names long without names for names beginning with Q, U, X, Y and Z.
If there are more than 21 storms in a season, storms are named after the letters of the Greek alphabet.
The Atlantic Hurricane season begins on 1st June and lasts until 30th November.
The hurricane which struck the Northeastern United States with devastating impact last October was the second-costliest hurricane in United States history.
At least 285 people were killed along the path of the storm in seven countries.
Hurricane Sandy: Although the damage has not been fully calculated, estimates put it well in excess of $50 billion
The storm surge hit New York City on 29th October 2012 flooding streets, tunnels, subway lines and cutting power in and around the city.
Preliminary estimates suggest the damage in the US alone is likely to be well over $50 billion. The final figures will be released later this year.
Sandy has been retired from the official list of Atlantic Basin tropical cyclone names by the World Meteorological Organization’s hurricane committee.
Enormous: Sandy was a Cat. 3 storm when it made
landfall in Cuba and a Cat. 2 storm off the coast of the US. The storm
became the largest Atlantic hurricane on record spanning 1,100 miles
Damage: Winds were only part of Sandy's
devastating impact - the floodwater was also extremely damaging as the
hurricane made landfall along the New Jersey shore. Parts of the state
were flooded and without power for days
Storm names are reused every six years for both the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific basins.
Meteorologists use six alphabetical lists of names that alternate between male and female names.
One set is used per year and the sets are recycled in the same order.
However, if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of the name would be insensitive or confusing, the WMO hurricane committee may retire the name.
Clean-up: Months on the clean-up continues where
large section of the iconic boardwalk was washed away in the heavily
damaged Rockaway neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City
Battered: Coastal communities like this one in
Queens were torn apart by Sandy's devastatingly strong winds and storm
surge. Thousands were left without heat and power for weeks
Sandy was a classic late-season hurricane in the southwestern Caribbean Sea.
The cyclone made landfall as a category 1 hurricane in Jamaica, and as a 115 mph category 3 hurricane in eastern Cuba.
Hurricane Sandy merged with a second winter storm hours before making landfall near Brigantine, New Jersey.
Its size and strength caused catastrophic damage all along the mid-Atlantic shoreline.
Sandy was the second costliest hurricane to hit the United States since Katrina in 2005.
Switched off then struck off: Sandy saw half of
Manhattan without power for days. It's destruction was so severe, the
name 'Sandy' is being removed from the list of approved hurricane names
In 2011, Irene was the only name taken off the list.
The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs 1 June – 30 November, will use a set last used in 2007. It begins with 'Andrea' and ends with 'Wendy'.
The sets are only 21 names long without names for names beginning with Q, U, X, Y and Z.
If there are more than 21 storms in a season, storms are named after the letters of the Greek alphabet.
The Atlantic Hurricane season begins on 1st June and lasts until 30th November.
