Ivan 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 Ivan. Its place on the list now belongs to Idris, on the 2028 list. Since 1980, five storms have been named Ivan; the strongest, in 1997, peaked as a Category 5 super typhoon.
Yes. Ivan 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 I slot, now belongs to Idris, on the 2028 Atlantic list, which is next used in 2028.
Ivan formed in the Southern Hemisphere in February 2008 and peaked as a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 929 mb. It made landfall near Ambodimanga II, Madagascar. The system was tracked for 22 days.
Cyclone Ivan (2008): track and historyIvan formed in the Atlantic in September 2004 and peaked as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 910 mb. It made 2 landfalls, first near Gulf Shores, United States and last near Port Arthur, United States. The system was tracked for 22 days.
Hurricane Ivan (2004): track and historyIvan formed in the Atlantic in September 1998 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 975 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 9 days.
Hurricane Ivan (1998): track and historyIvan formed in the West Pacific in October 1997 and peaked as a Category 5 super typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 905 mb. It made landfall near Gonzaga, Philippines. The system was tracked for 17 days.
Super Typhoon Ivan (1997): track and historyIvan formed in the Atlantic in October 1980 and peaked as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 970 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 11 days.
Hurricane Ivan (1980): track and history| Storm | Landfall near | Date (UTC) | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan 2008 | Ambodimanga II, Madagascar | 2008-02-17 09:00 | 105 mph / 170 km/h |
| Ivan 2004 | Gulf Shores, United States | 2004-09-16 06:50 | 120 mph / 195 km/h |
| Ivan 2004 | Port Arthur, United States | 2004-09-24 02:00 | 35 mph / 55 km/h |
| Ivan 1997 | Gonzaga, Philippines | 1997-10-19 21:00 | 130 mph / 215 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 and 1980, Ivan was the 9th name used in the Atlantic season.
Storms named Ivan 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 Ivan in 2008, in the Southern Hemisphere. It formed on February 5, peaked at 145 mph (230 km/h) and lasted 22 days. It made landfall near Ambodimanga II, Madagascar. Before that, the name was used in 2004, 1998, 1997 and 1980.
Super Typhoon Ivan in 1997 was the strongest, peaking as a Category 5 super typhoon with winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 905 mb. It formed in the West Pacific in October and made landfall near Gonzaga, Philippines. The weakest of the five, in 1998, peaked at 90 mph (150 km/h).