Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate retired from future list of storm names

So long, Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate. Don't let the door hit you on the way out!

On Thursday, the World Meteorological Organization’s Region IV Hurricane Committee officially retired the names of the four deadly storms that caused extensive damage in the United States and the Caribbean during the 2017 hurricane season. Hundreds of people died directly and indirectly as a result of the four powerful storms.

Storm names are retired if they were so deadly or destructive that the future use of the name would be insensitive. Otherwise, names are reused by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center on a six-year cycle.

The committee also selected replacement names for the four retired storms. They are Harold, Idalia, Margot and Nigel, respectively. They will first appear in the 2023 list of storm names.

Including these additions, there have been 86 names retired from the Atlantic basin list since 1953, when storms began to be named. The 2005 hurricane season has the most retired names (five) for one season.

Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey became a category 4 hurricane before making landfall along the middle Texas coast Aug. 25.

The storm then stalled, with its center remaining over or near the Texas coast for four days, dropping historic rainfall amounts, of up to 5 feet, causing catastrophic flooding in parts of southeastern Texas.

Harvey is the second costliest hurricane in U.S. history (after inflation), behind only Katrina in 2005. At least 68 people died from the direct effects of the storm in Texas, the largest number in that state since 1919.

Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma was a long-lived hurricane that reached category 5 intensity Sept. 5. The catastrophic hurricane made seven landfalls, four of which occurred as a category 5 hurricane across the northern Caribbean Islands. Irma made landfall as a category 4 hurricane in the Florida Keys on Sept. 10 and struck southwestern Florida as a category 3 the same day.

More: National Hurricane Center releases tropical cyclone report for Hurricane Irma

Irma caused 44 direct deaths. In the U.S., seven direct deaths were reported, and an additional 85 indirect deaths occurred, 80 of which were in Florida. Hundreds more were injured preparing for the storm, during it or in its aftermath.

More: A look back at Hurricane Irma

The Treasure Coast remained in the cone of uncertainty for days and at one point, Irma's eye was forecast to pass directly over Martin County. The storm was so massive, St. Lucie County saw wind gusts up to 100 mph and more than 20 inches of rain in some areas, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

Top rainfall amounts by county

St. Lucie: 21.7 inches

Indian River: 14.2 inches

Martin County: Final rainfall amounts not available

Top wind speeds by county

St. Lucie: 100 mph on South Hutchinson Island

Martin: 75 mph at South Fork High School

Indian River: 62 mph at Vero Beach City Hall

Top sustained winds by county

St. Lucie: 71 mph on South Hutchinson Island

Martin: 55 mph in Jensen Beach

Indian River: 37 mph at Vero Beach City Hall

Hurricane Maria

Hurricane Maria ravaged the island of Dominica as a category 5 on Sept. 19, and later devastated Puerto Rico as a high-end category 4 hurricane. It also wreaked havoc on some of the other islands of the northeastern Caribbean Sea.

Maria is the third costliest hurricane in U.S. history, behind Harvey and Katrina. Maria caused 31 direct deaths with 34 missing in Dominica, and two direct deaths in Guadeloupe. In Puerto Rico, the death toll stands at 65, which includes an unknown number of indirect deaths.

More: Dogs left behind in Puerto Rico reunite with owners

Hurricane Nate

Hurricane Nate crossed northeastern Nicaragua and eastern Honduras as a tropical storm, then made landfall on the northern Gulf Coast as a category 1 hurricane.

It brought rainfall that caused significant impacts in Central America, where media reports indicate that these caused 44 deaths in the region. An additional fatality in Panama was caused by a shipwreck, bringing the death toll directly associated with Nate to 45. An additional nine people were missing in the region.

Maureen Kenyon is TCPalm's trends reporter, keeping Treasure Coast residents updated on hot topics and happenings. Do you have a story to tell? Want to start a conversation? Send an email to maureen.kenyon@tcpalm.com, call 772-221-4249 or follow her on Twitter @_MaureenKenyon_.