Tropical Storm Ward

Tropical Storm Ward was the longest-lived tropical cyclone in history to not reach hurricane strength. Ward formed from a tropical wave in July 2104 when "backward-naming" was used for the first time to stop having to retire names. Ward circled the Atlantic several times from its formation on July 2 to its dissipation on September 16.

Meteorological History
A tropical wave exited the African coast on July 1. The system rapidly organized into Tropical Storm Ward on July 2. Ward would then make the classic Cape Verde hurricane track, but one thing was wrong - ''It never became a hurricane! ''Despite low wind shear and very warm waters, Ward failed to reach hurricane intensity even once. Ward's intensity sat at 70 mph for over 50 days in a row. By early August, Ward was expected to finally reach hurricane intensity - only it didn't. Instead of briefly becoming a hurricane and dissipating like the NHC forecasted, Ward took a very unusual turn to the southwest and began to head back to the U.S.  By later in August, Ward started to turn back northeast. Its pressure reached a low of 969 mbar on August 26, more characteristic of a Category 2 hurricane than a tropical storm. Ward kept moving around the Atlantic until it finally dissipated on September 16. Ward's longevity limited the 2104 Atlantic season to five named storms, four of which formed in the Gulf Of Mexico.

Impact
The name Ward was retired, simply because of its longevity.