These Storms Were So Deadly Their Names Have Been Retired Forever

As America continues to grapple with the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Ida, it's likely the name will be retired forever.

The storm is set to be uttered in the same sentence as Katrina and Sandy, where the memories of destruction and loss of life are still raw.

Both names have been officially retired—meaning no storms will bear the same moniker—and Ida's death toll of 82 will probably see her join their ranks at the end of the year.

The category-4 hurricane is thought to be the fifth-strongest storm to ever hit the continental U.S., according to NASA, bringing winds of 150 miles-per-hour (mph). She spawned at least 21 tornadoes, and saw New York issue its first-ever flash flood warning, after initially making landfall on August 29.

She affected 22 states and Washington D.C., travelling some 1,500 miles. New Jersey recorded its wettest day on record on September 1 with 8.41 inches of rain dumped in a single day, while 3.15 inches fell in a single hour in New York City.

Houses and cars were washed away, roads and transportation systems flooded, buildings had their roofs ripped off, while others burnt to the ground. The power grid took a lashing, leaving hundreds of thousands without power, and some without water.

Ida's reign of terror was so catastrophic, the name will be forever associated with the events of 2021. The Royal Meteorological Society noted: "The storm has not only caused loss of life, but substantial and significant damage that the name Ida will probably be retired at the end of the year.

"The letter "I" has had more storm names retired than any other letter in the alphabet. A total of 11 "I" named storms, including Ike, Irma, and Ivan, have been retired since 1953. Ida will likely become the 12th name on that list."

Currently six lists are rotated every year, meaning the current set of names will be used again in 2027. Ian, Idalia, Isaac, Imelda and Isaias are the next five names for the letter I, covering 2022-2026. However, it's probable Ida—which appears on the 2021 list—will have been replaced for 2027.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which maintains the list of names for Atlantic storms, explains: "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 for a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity."

During an annual meeting of the WMO, any names which fall under this category are "stricken from the list and another name is selected to replace it."

The current naming system came into effect in the U.S. 1953, and up until 1978 storms were solely given female names. Now the lists alternate between male and female names for each letter, which omits Q, U, X, Y and Z.

Over the past 66 years, some 93 Atlantic basin names—which covers the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico—have been retired, after causing mass devastation.

Memorable storm names consigned to the history books in recent years include Katrina which struck in 2005—the same day as Ida some 16 years later. Mitch, which occurred in 1998, has been retired, as has Maria, which hit in 2017, and Sandy, which made landfall in 2012. Storms which occurred before the hurricane naming convention are not included.

The naming of storms follows a strict procedure, with rules in place for any hurricane which occurs outside of the traditional season, as well as an alternative list of names, should there be more than 21 in a given year.

Similar to the Atlantic basin lists, there are also six lists in rotation for the Eastern North Pacific and the Central North Pacific.

Newsweek reached out to the WMO for comment.