Zombie Storms, Explained: Why Some Hurricanes Come Back From the Dead

Tropical Storm Fay has come back from the dead, becoming the first zombie storm of the Atlantic season. What defines a zombie storm? Read on for the details.

Zombie Storm Fay Roaming the Atlantic Ocean

A storm that looked to be on its way out has regenerated over the open Atlantic, earning the designation of a zombie storm.  The disturbance initially formed near the Azores Islands as a tropical depression, later becoming the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season when it developed formal tropical storm characteristics on Sunday morning.

The storm began to weaken again on Tuesday, prompting the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to declare it a post-tropical storm. However, Fay was not done yet. The feature moved into an area of more favorable conditions and regained its tropical depression designation by Wednesday afternoon. By Wednesday night, Fay was once again a tropical storm.

The National Weather Service (NWS) came up with the term "zombie storm" in 2020 to describe features that reorganize after dissipating. Other meteorological agencies refer to these types of systems as tropical rainstorms. The terms help to keep the weather makers on the public's radar so that they are still taken seriously.

For example, the NHC notes that while some tropical features lose the characteristics that earn them a name, they may still deliver heavy rain and high winds. This is when the agency will use the term "tropical wind and rainstorm" to ensure that those in the path are aware of the threats that go beyond a garden-variety storm.