Has the name Dennis been retired?
Yes. Dennis is on NHC’s list of retired Atlantic names because of the 2005 storm. It is one of 100 names retired there since 1954 (Tropical Cyclone Naming History and Retired Names).
A name is retired when a storm was so deadly or costly that using the name again would be insensitive; the World Meteorological Organization then picks a new name with the same first letter at its annual meeting.
When will Dennis be used again?
It won’t be. Retired names are not used again on the Atlantic lists. Its place on the list, the D slot, now belongs to Don, on the 2029 Atlantic list, which is next used in 2029.
Why was the storm named Dennis?
Names go in alphabetical order, one per storm, as each storm reaches tropical-storm strength (39 mph, 34 knots), so a storm’s place in its season decides its name.
In each of 2005, 1999, 1993, 1987 and 1981, Dennis was the 4th name used in the Atlantic season.
Dennis in other oceans
Storms named Dennis appear in more than one ocean in our archive:
- Atlantic: 1981, 1987, 1993, 1999 and 2005
- Southern Hemisphere: 1996
Each ocean region keeps its own name lists, drawn up by its own WMO regional committee (Tropical cyclone naming), so the same name can be given to unrelated storms in different oceans.