Sam is the 18th name on the 2027 list of Atlantic hurricane names, so it is next scheduled for 2027. It is used that year only if the season reaches the letter S. Since 1990, four storms have been named Sam; the strongest, in 2021, peaked as a Category 4 hurricane.
No. Sam is on the 2027 list of Atlantic names, and it is not among the 100 names NHC lists as retired from the Atlantic (Tropical Cyclone Naming History and Retired Names).
Sam is next scheduled for 2027, when the 2027 list is used. The six lists rotate, so each one returns every six years.
A name on the list is used only if the season gets that far. Sam is name 18 of 21, and 10 of the 46 Atlantic seasons from 1980 to 2025 got that far.
Sam formed in the Atlantic in September 2021 and peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 927 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 15 days.
Hurricane Sam (2021): track and historySam formed in the Southern Hemisphere in November 2000 and peaked as a Category 3 cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 935 mb. The system was tracked for 16 days.
Cyclone Sam (2000): track and historySam formed in the West Pacific in August 1999 and peaked as a Category 1 typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 980 mb. It made 2 landfalls, first near Gonzaga, Philippines and last near Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong. The system was tracked for 9 days.
Typhoon Sam (1999): track and historySam formed in the Southern Hemisphere in January 1990 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 966 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 10 days.
Tropical Storm Sam (1990): track and history| Storm | Landfall near | Date (UTC) | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam 2000 | 14.2°S 127.6°E | 2000-12-04 00:00 | 35 mph / 55 km/h |
| Sam 2000 | 19.0°S 121.6°E | 2000-12-08 15:00 | 115 mph / 185 km/h |
| Sam 1999 | Gonzaga, Philippines | 1999-08-20 00:00 | 60 mph / 95 km/h |
| Sam 1999 | Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong | 1999-08-22 09:00 | 80 mph / 130 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 2021, Sam was the 18th name used in the Atlantic season.
Storms named Sam 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 Sam in 2021, in the Atlantic. It formed on September 22, peaked at 155 mph (250 km/h) and lasted 15 days. It did not make landfall. It was the 18th name used in that Atlantic season. Before that, the name was used in 2000, 1999 and 1990.
Hurricane Sam in 2021 was the strongest, peaking as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 155 mph (250 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 927 mb. It formed in the Atlantic in September. The weakest of the four, in 1990, peaked at 60 mph (95 km/h).