Community Corner

Farewell, Irene: WMO Retires Name From Storm List

The sun has set on any storm named Irene's ability to wreak havoc on the Eastern seaboard.

The World Meteorological Organization’s hurricane committee is saying goodbye to Irene and hello to Irma.

The organization, which is charged with, among other things, identifying the names of storms that develop in the Atlantic and North Pacific basins, announced today that because of the significant damaged caused by the storm in August 2011, the name Irene will be retired from any future use, according to the National Weather Service.

Irene, originally a category 3 hurricane that gradually decreased to a tropical storm, left 49 dead, 41 from the US, in her wake. The storm also caused billions of dollars in damage from the time it hit the East Coast first North Carolina to the time it reached New England, causing massive floods and power outages in Connecticut and Vermont.

In West Hartford, approximately at the height of the storm, and the Town declared a State of Emergency. The West Hartford Fire Department reported that they fielded due to Irene.

According to NOAA, the committee has retired 76 names of storms over the past 58 years.


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