Zombie Storm Fay comes back to life

What exactly is a "zombie storm" and how do they form during the Atlantic hurricane season?

A storm over the Atlantic that seemed to be falling apart has regenerated, becoming what meteorologists call a zombie storm.

A tropical depression formed last weekend far out in the Atlantic Ocean and became Tropical Storm Fay early Sunday morning. The storm weakened to a tropical depression on Tuesday afternoon and was declared a post-tropical storm by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) on Tuesday evening.

But Fay's story doesn't end there. The storm gained tropical depression status again on Wednesday afternoon and became a tropical storm again late Wednesday night. Fay is expected to decrease in intensity again and dissipate this Sunday.

In 2020, the National Weather Service coined the unofficial term "zombie storm" to describe these kinds of systems that regenerate.

AccuWeather refers to trackable tropical areas as tropical rainstorms after they have lost wind intensity and are no longer designated as a named tropical storm or depression by the NHC. This unique designation helps to keep the public’s focus on the impacts the storm can still bring.

Many storms that the NHC considers to have lost wind intensity or no longer qualify for a name can still bring heavy rain that can lead to flooding, especially at higher elevations. If wind will still be a significant factor, the term “tropical wind and rainstorm” may be used. AccuWeather may also use the term "rainstorm" to alert the public before a storm is named by the NHC.

Was Tropical Storm Nolo also a zombie storm?

Other examples of zombie storms include Hurricane John in 2024, Tammy in 2023, which, appropriately, became a zombie storm the week of Halloween, and Paulette in 2020. These storms all became zombies over the Atlantic Ocean, but one infamous storm looped around to hit the Gulf twice -- the only storm known to do so.

Tropical Storm Nolo was also a zombie -- albeit during its tropical depression phase. Tropical Depression 15E was declared on Sept. 13 in the Pacific Ocean but dissipated days later, only to be reinvigorated on Wednesday morning and become Tropical Storm Nolo later that day. Nolo is expected to bring historic flooding to Hawaii as a major hurricane.

The biggest zombie of them all struck the Gulf twice in 2004

Twenty-two years ago this month, Hurricane Ivan hit the Gulf Coast, moved northeast and became a zombie storm off the mid-Atlantic coast. It then looped back over Florida and hit the Gulf coast again as a tropical storm. As the term "zombie storm" didn't exist at the time, AccuWeather colloquially called the second act of the storm "The Ghost of Ivan."

Are zombie storms becoming more common?

Zombie storms have always been around, but meteorologists couldn't track them well until recently. Only in the last 10 years have we gained meteorological tools, such as high-resolution weather satellites that update every minute.

Many zombie storms likely went undiagnosed before 2020.

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