Patricia is a retired Pacific hurricane name. The World Meteorological Organization took it off the lists after the 2015 storm, so no future storm in the eastern or central Pacific will be called Patricia. Its place on the list now belongs to Pamela, on the 2027 list. Since 2003, three storms have been named Patricia; the strongest, in 2015, peaked as a Category 5 hurricane.
Yes. Patricia is on NHC’s list of retired eastern and central Pacific names because of the 2015 storm. It is one of 22 names retired there since 1965 (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 eastern and central Pacific lists. Its place on the list, the P slot, now belongs to Pamela, on the 2027 East Pacific list, which is next used in 2027.
Patricia formed in the East Pacific in October 2015 and peaked as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 215 mph (345 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 872 mb. It made landfall near San Patricio, Mexico. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Hurricane Patricia (2015): track and historyPatricia formed in the East Pacific in October 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 996 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.
Tropical Storm Patricia (2009): track and historyPatricia formed in the East Pacific in October 2003 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 984 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 6 days.
Hurricane Patricia (2003): track and history| Storm | Landfall near | Date (UTC) | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patricia 2015 | San Patricio, Mexico | 2015-10-23 23:00 | 150 mph / 240 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 2015, 2009 and 2003, Patricia was the 16th name used in the East Pacific season.
The most recent was Hurricane Patricia in 2015, in the East Pacific. It formed on October 20, peaked at 215 mph (345 km/h) and lasted 4 days. It made landfall near San Patricio, Mexico. It was the 16th name used in that East Pacific season. Before that, the name was used in 2009 and 2003.
Hurricane Patricia in 2015 was the strongest, peaking as a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 215 mph (345 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 872 mb. It formed in the East Pacific in October and made landfall near San Patricio, Mexico. The weakest of the three, in 2009, peaked at 60 mph (95 km/h).