Elena is a retired Atlantic hurricane name. The World Meteorological Organization took it off the lists after the 1985 storm, so no future Atlantic storm will be called Elena. Its place on the list now belongs to Elsa, on the 2027 list. It is the only storm named Elena in our archive, which covers every ocean since 1980.
Yes. Elena is on NHC’s list of retired Atlantic names because of the 1985 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.
It won’t be. Retired names are not used again on the Atlantic lists. Its place on the list, the E slot, now belongs to Elsa, on the 2027 Atlantic list, which is next used in 2027.
Elena formed in the Atlantic in August 1985 and peaked as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 953 mb. It made landfall near Long Beach, United States. The system was tracked for 8 days.
Hurricane Elena (1985): track and history| Storm | Landfall near | Date (UTC) | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elena 1985 | Long Beach, United States | 1985-09-02 13:00 | 115 mph / 185 km/h |
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 1985, Elena was the 5th name used in the Atlantic season.
The most recent was Hurricane Elena in 1985, in the Atlantic. It formed on August 28, peaked at 125 mph (205 km/h) and lasted 8 days. It made landfall near Long Beach, United States. It was the 5th name used in that Atlantic season. It is the only storm named Elena in our archive, which covers every ocean since 1980.