Has the name Harvey been retired?
Yes. Harvey is on NHC’s list of retired Atlantic names because of the 2017 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 Harvey be used again?
It won’t be. Retired names are not used again on the Atlantic lists. Its place on the list, the H slot, now belongs to Harold, on the 2029 Atlantic list, which is next used in 2029.
Why was the storm named Harvey?
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 2017, 2011, 2005, 1999, 1993 and 1981, Harvey was the 8th name used in the Atlantic season.
Harvey in other oceans
Storms named Harvey appear in more than one ocean in our archive:
- Atlantic: 1981, 1993, 1999, 2005, 2011 and 2017
- Southern Hemisphere: 1984 and 2005
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.