Frances is a retired Atlantic hurricane name. The World Meteorological Organization took it off the lists after the 2004 storm, so no future Atlantic storm will be called Frances. Its place on the list now belongs to Farrah, on the 2028 list. Since 1980, six storms have been named Frances; the strongest, in 2004, peaked as a Category 4 hurricane.
Yes. Frances is on NHC’s list of retired Atlantic names because of the 2004 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 Farrah, on the 2028 Atlantic list, which is next used in 2028.
Frances formed in the Southern Hemisphere in April 2017 and peaked as a Category 1 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 963 mb. It made landfall near Saumlaki, Indonesia. The system was tracked for 11 days.
Cyclone Frances (2017): track and historyFrances formed in the Atlantic in August 2004 and peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 935 mb. It made 3 landfalls, first near Lucaya, Bahamas and last near Perry, United States. The system was tracked for 17 days.
Hurricane Frances (2004): track and historyFrances formed in the Atlantic in September 1998 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 990 mb. It made landfall near Rockport, United States. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Tropical Storm Frances (1998): track and historyFrances formed in the Atlantic in October 1992 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 976 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 8 days.
Hurricane Frances (1992): track and historyFrances formed in the Atlantic in November 1986 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1000 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 3 days.
Hurricane Frances (1986): track and historyFrances formed in the Atlantic in September 1980 and peaked as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 958 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 15 days.
Hurricane Frances (1980): track and history| Storm | Landfall near | Date (UTC) | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frances 2017 | Saumlaki, Indonesia | 2017-04-26 00:00 | 35 mph / 55 km/h |
| Frances 2004 | 24.0°N 74.5°W | 2004-09-02 19:30 | 125 mph / 205 km/h |
| Frances 2004 | 24.6°N 75.6°W | 2004-09-03 05:30 | 115 mph / 185 km/h |
| Frances 2004 | 25.1°N 76.1°W | 2004-09-03 10:00 | 110 mph / 175 km/h |
| Frances 2004 | Lucaya, Bahamas | 2004-09-04 10:00 | 105 mph / 165 km/h |
| Frances 2004 | Stuart, United States | 2004-09-05 04:30 | 105 mph / 165 km/h |
| Frances 2004 | Perry, United States | 2004-09-06 18:00 | 60 mph / 95 km/h |
| Frances 1998 | Rockport, United States | 1998-09-11 06:00 | 50 mph / 85 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 2004, 1998, 1992, 1986 and 1980, Frances was the 6th name used in the Atlantic season.
Storms named Frances 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 Cyclone Frances in 2017, in the Southern Hemisphere. It formed on April 20, peaked at 90 mph (150 km/h) and lasted 11 days. It made landfall near Saumlaki, Indonesia. Before that, the name was used in 2004, 1998, 1992, 1986 and 1980.
Hurricane Frances in 2004 was the strongest, peaking as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 935 mb. It formed in the Atlantic in August and made landfall near Lucaya, Bahamas. The weakest of the six, in 1998, peaked at 65 mph (100 km/h).