Hurricane Committee Just Retired 1 Name After Nearly 100 Deaths, Replacement Revealed
The World Meteorological Organization’s Hurricane Committee announced on Wednesday, March 4 that it retired the one name from a list of potential names for hurricanes following the destruction it caused in the Caribbean.
Hurricane Melissa, the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in Jamaica, was responsible for more than 90 deaths across Jamaica, Haiti and the other island nations. At its peak, Melissa was classified as a category 5 storm based on the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, with life-threatening winds reaching over 185 mph.
WMO Hurricane Committee Replaces Melissa
In an announcement on Wednesday, the WMO Hurricane Committee announced it replaced Melissa with Molly heading into the 2031 hurricane season.
Evan Thompson, Principal Director at Meteorological Service, Jamaica, and President of WMO’s Regional Association IV, made the request for a name change following the devastation in 2025.
The WMO Hurricane Committee has retired the name Melissa because of the destruction it caused in the Caribbean in 2025. It will be replaced by Molly on the list of rotating names.https://t.co/XfpWUnuZQ3 pic.twitter.com/mkq1CHGZHh
— World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) March 4, 2026
"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," he said. " ... I am very thankful that there was unanimous approval of my request for the retirement of Melissa. Jamaica would not have liked to constantly recount the trauma that was visited on us in 2025."
How, Why are Hurricanes Named?
The World Meteorological Organization revealed that naming tropical cyclones "has proven to be the fastest way to communicate warnings and raise public awareness and preparedness."
By assigning names to hurricanes, they're more easily tracked and discussed in a straightforward manner. The naming helps to avoid confusion among meteorologists, media, emergency management agencies and the public.
When selecting a new name, consideration is given to certain factors:
- Short in character length for ease of use in communication
- Easy to pronounce
- Appropriate significance in different languages
- Uniqueness – same names cannot be used in other regions.
Names are repeated every six years, unless a storm is so deadly or destructive that its name is retired.