No, there is not currently an “I” named tropical cyclone in the Atlantic, but that could change by next week. There are three areas in the Atlantic with potential development, so it is likely that at least one of these will develop into the next “I” named storm, which would be Ida.
First off, locally we don’t have any concerns tropically for the next week or so. So that’s good news – but it is peak hurricane season so we will be paying close attention to anything stirring out there in the Atlantic.
The “I” named storm is in fact the most retired tropical cyclone name, with 12 of them being retired since 1955. All of which, except Ingrid in 2013, were major hurricanes.
Across Hampton Roads, I’m sure we remember Isabel (2003) and Irene (2011), two of the retired “I” named storms that pounded the area with wind, rain and flooding.
Now this has nothing to do with the name, but more so the timing. Climatologically, the pace of tropical cyclone development typically has the “I” named storm forming sometime in late August and September, which is peak hurricane season.
We don’t expect this next “I” named storm to be another Isabel or Irene for us locally, long range models keep most of the activity away from Hampton Roads. But as always, we’ll keep an eye on things!