/ Source: The Associated Press
Gustav, Ike, Paloma and Alma are off the World Meteorological Organization's rotating list of storm names.
A committee voted to retire them because the storms caused such heavy damage.
In the Atlantic, Gustav, Ike and Paloma will be replaced by Gonzalo, Isaias and Paulette. In the North Pacific, Amanda will take Alma's place.
All of the removed names would have been used again in 2014.
Gustav killed 112 people last year, including 77 in Haiti. Ike killed more than 80 people across the Caribbean and Bahamas and caused some $19.3 billion in U.S. property damage. Paloma destroyed more than 1,400 homes in Cuba and Alma caused damage in Nicaragua and Belize.
The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1.
The names for the 2009 season are:
- Ana
- Bill
- Claudette
- Danny
- Erika
- Fred
- Grace
- Henri
- Ida
- Joaquin
- Kate
- Larry
- Mindy
- Nicholas
- Odette
- Peter
- Rose
- Sam
- Teresa
- Victor
- Wanda