2004 so far

[HurricaneBill]

So far for 2004, what do you think has been the big tropical cyclone event?

I'd say it's probably a tie.

Hurricane Catarina becoming the first hurricane observed in the southern Atlantic and making landfall on Brazil, killing 10. (Many probably see it as a sign of global warming. I see it simply as an anomaly or a rare event. Yes, the southern Atlantic has harsh conditions for tropical development, but I figure that sooner or later, one would slip the cracks. Catarina was basically in the right place at the right time with the right conditions.)

But just edging out Catarina as the big tropical cyclone event of 2004 so far, I'd have to say that it is Cyclone Gafilo.

Gafilo made landfall on Madagascar as a powerful Category 5 with sustained winds of 160 mph. This makes Gafilo one of (if not) the most powerful cyclones to strike Madagascar.

Gafilo came at a bad time. Only a month before, Cyclone Elita had struck Madagascar. Although only a Category 1, Elita made multiple landfalls on Madagascar due to its erratic path. Elita dumped torrential rains that killed 29 people.

Gafilo struck Madagascar as a Category 5, moved offshore, strengthened back up to a Category 1 and curved back and made a second landfall on Madagascar.

Gafilo left more than 300 dead and destroyed vanilla crops. Vanilla is Madagascar's main export. Rice fields were also decimated, leaving many in Madagascar worried about the F-word: FAMINE

Fortunately, many countries (including France, Libya, the U.S., South Africa, and Norway) have sent aid to help Madagascar.

[MWatkins]

So far for 2004, what do you think has been the big tropical cyclone event?

I'd say it's probably a tie.

Hurricane Catarina becoming the first hurricane observed in the southern Atlantic and making landfall on Brazil, killing 10. (Many probably see it as a sign of global warming. I see it simply as an anomaly or a rare event. Yes, the southern Atlantic has harsh conditions for tropical development, but I figure that sooner or later, one would slip the cracks. Catarina was basically in the right place at the right time with the right conditions.)

But just edging out Catarina as the big tropical cyclone event of 2004 so far, I'd have to say that it is Cyclone Gafilo.

Gafilo made landfall on Madagascar as a powerful Category 5 with sustained winds of 160 mph. This makes Gafilo one of (if not) the most powerful cyclones to strike Madagascar.

Gafilo came at a bad time. Only a month before, Cyclone Elita had struck Madagascar. Although only a Category 1, Elita made multiple landfalls on Madagascar due to its erratic path. Elita dumped torrential rains that killed 29 people.

Gafilo struck Madagascar as a Category 5, moved offshore, strengthened back up to a Category 1 and curved back and made a second landfall on Madagascar.

Gafilo left more than 300 dead and destroyed vanilla crops. Vanilla is Madagascar's main export. Rice fields were also decimated, leaving many in Madagascar worried about the F-word: FAMINE

Fortunately, many countries (including France, Libya, the U.S., South Africa, and Norway) have sent aid to help Madagascar.

First...the arrogance of the Brazilian govt, more than the hurricane itself is responsible for the deaths there. Their response...that Catrina was no big deal...(a middle Lat cyclone they said) was unacceptable and infuriating....especially after the TPC urged them to act. I feel very bad for the people affected buy this tragedy...it was 100% avoidable in my opinion.

As for Madagascar...my knowledge of that countires existance comes from playing the board game Risk (it was always the last country to fall when I took the Africian contenent). That said, most African countries are poor to begin with...so an event like this sets them back even further.

Very disturbing. I wonder if residents there even knew it was coming.

MW

[HurricaneBill]

First...the arrogance of the Brazilian govt, more than the hurricane itself is responsible for the deaths there. Their response...that Catrina was no big deal...(a middle Lat cyclone they said) was unacceptable and infuriating....especially after the TPC urged them to act. I feel very bad for the people affected buy this tragedy...it was 100% avoidable in my opinion.

As for Madagascar...my knowledge of that countires existance comes from playing the board game Risk (it was always the last country to fall when I took the Africian contenent). That said, most African countries are poor to begin with...so an event like this sets them back even further.

Very disturbing. I wonder if residents there even knew it was coming.

MW

On other boards, posters from Brazil said they believed it was a hurricane despite what the Brazilian govt said. Which doesn't surprise me. Brazil might not be familiar with hurricanes, but I'm pretty positive many people there know about hurricanes and have some knowledge of them. Some Brazilians probably looked at pics of Catarina and said "No, that's a hurricane."

I think some Brazil weather stations even warned that it was a hurricane.

Yes, Madagascar is a very poor country. However, it also gets hit by a few cyclones a year. Fortunately, not as frequently as the Philippines gets typhoons. If a cyclone is heading for Madagascar, the people do know about it.

In the case of Gafilo, they knew it was coming and prepared to the best of their abilities. Well, as good as you can prepare for a Category 5 cyclone.

[Thunder44]

You know, I was thinking about Hurricane "Catarina".That even though in occurred in the South Atlantic, and out of season, wouldn't it really be our first hurricane of the season or this year? It wasn't really neamed by the NHC, but it's still in was the Atlantic. Would this one count?

I never heard about Cyclone Gafilo and damaged it caused in Madagascar. I rarely hear about Cyclones in the South Pacific in the news.

[cycloneye]

No it doesn't count because it is the north atlantic basin that the NHC does their anaylisis and forecasts.

That is why you see in the tropical weather outlooks the heading=For the North Atlantic,Caribbean Sea and Gulf Of Mexico.

[Rainband]

Like Luis said, It's a whole different "basin" ,although it really can't be called a basin, since it has been void of activity before that storm. It doesn't qualify as an atlantic basin system