4 hurricane names retired after deadly destruction

The Atlantic hurricane names Dorian, Laura, Eta and Iota are being retired due to the trail of death and destruction left in their wake, the UN's World Meteorological Organization said Wednesday. The four names were wiped off the lists following a two-day virtual meeting of the WMO's 28-country Hurricane Committee serving North America, Central America and the Caribbean. During 2020, the unprecedented number of 30 named Atlantic storms led to at least 400 fatalities and cost $41 billion in damages. Storms are assigned alternating male and female names in alphabetical order -- this year beginning with Ana, Bill and Claudette. They are reused every six years, though if any hurricane is particularly devastating, its name is retired and replaced.