Fabian is a retired Atlantic hurricane name. The World Meteorological Organization took it off the lists after the 2003 storm, so no future Atlantic storm will be called Fabian. Its place on the list now belongs to Fred, on the 2027 list. Since 1981, eight storms have been named Fabian; the strongest, in 2003, peaked as a Category 4 hurricane.
Yes. Fabian is on NHC’s list of retired Atlantic names because of the 2003 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 F slot, now belongs to Fred, on the 2027 Atlantic list, which is next used in 2027.
Fabian formed in the Atlantic in August 2003 and peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 939 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 13 days.
Hurricane Fabian (2003): track and historyFabian formed in the Atlantic in October 1997 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1004 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Tropical Storm Fabian (1997): track and historyFabian formed in the Atlantic in October 1991 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1002 mb. It made 2 landfalls, first near Nueva Gerona, Cuba and last near San Nicolás de Bari, Cuba. The system was tracked for 2 days.
Tropical Storm Fabian (1991): track and historyFabian formed in the West Pacific in August 1988 and peaked as a Category 1 typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 970 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 11 days.
Typhoon Fabian (1988): track and historyFabian formed in the Atlantic in September 1985 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 994 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Tropical Storm Fabian (1985): track and historyFabian formed in the West Pacific in January 1985. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 1 day.
Tropical Depression Fabian (1985): track and historyFabian formed in the West Pacific in January 1985 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 990 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 11 days.
Tropical Storm Fabian (1985): track and historyFabian formed in the West Pacific in October 1981 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 994 mb. It made landfall near Khánh Hải, Vietnam. The system was tracked for 6 days.
Tropical Storm Fabian (1981): track and history| Storm | Landfall near | Date (UTC) | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabian 1991 | Nueva Gerona, Cuba | 1991-10-15 21:00 | 45 mph / 75 km/h |
| Fabian 1991 | San Nicolás de Bari, Cuba | 1991-10-16 00:00 | 45 mph / 75 km/h |
| Fabian 1981 | Khánh Hải, Vietnam | 1981-10-14 09:00 | 35 mph / 55 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 each of 2003, 1997, 1991 and 1985, Fabian was the 6th name used in the Atlantic season.
Storms named Fabian appear in more than one ocean in our archive:
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.
The most recent was Hurricane Fabian in 2003, in the Atlantic. It formed on August 27, peaked at 145 mph (230 km/h) and lasted 13 days. It did not make landfall. It was the 6th name used in that Atlantic season. Before that, the name was used in 1997, 1991, 1988, 1985 and 1981.
Hurricane Fabian in 2003 was the strongest, peaking as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 939 mb. It formed in the Atlantic in August. The weakest of the eight, in 1985, peaked below tropical-storm strength.