This says Gaston was a hurricane?

[Matthew5]

http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/pub/goes/ ... gaston.gif

Kind of weird

[PurdueWx80]

Gaston will most likely be upgraded in the final best track at the end of the season. There was plenty of evidence for this as I understand it. We'll find out in a few months whatever the case may be.

[ericinmia]

Gaston will most likely be upgraded in the final best track at the end of the season. There was plenty of evidence for this as I understand it. We'll find out in a few months whatever the case may be.

I agree. There are enough data reports, and damge reports to sustain a claim of cat1.
-Eric

[AussieMark]

that would put this years hurricane count to 6 so far.

WOW.


thats IF they upgrade

some tropical storms in 2000 which we thought would be upgraded in post-analysis were not upgraded.

[PTPatrick]

Wasnt TS Claudette the one that JB complained about not being a hurricane?

[krisj]

Well I know here is SC that Gaston was felt much worse than when Charley came in as a Cat. 1. All the local people (okay, most of them) in my area call it a Hurricane cause it sure felt that way!

[AussieMark]

who thought Gordon was a Hurricane at landfall in 2000.

he was kept at Tropical storm.

or Barry in 2001.

Both of these were kept at Tropical storm even after post analysis

[Hurricanehink]

According to NRL, Barry was a hurricane, as seen here. The black storm symbol being a hurricane.

It may be upgraded in the reanalysis project, as well as Gaston.

[Brent]

Barry was never upgraded. The NHC didn't have any wind evidence it was a hurricane.

[Hurricanehink]

Yea, you're right. I just checked. Recon's max winds they found were 80 at flight level, and on a dropsonde, they had 70 at the surface.

[Stormsfury]

I'm definitely mixed on Gaston ...

One part of me wants to proclaim Gaston as a hurricane, for it was the strongest "tropical storm" without ever being classified as a hurricane that I've ever went through ... and second, the organization of the storm even after landfall (and a very apparent eye or IR, and on VIS imagery ...)

(Pick your satellite shot) ...
http://www.stormsfury1.com/Weather/Trop ... mages.html

Had Gaston been out in open waters, it would have been classified as a hurricane based on Dvorak Classifications of 4.0 ...

NOW, the side against it ...

I found NO SFC observations of sustained hurricane force winds, just many, many gusts of hurricane force. Frictional forces across land may have been enough to be part of the cause for this, but at the same time, I didn't see any buoy reports either of sustained hurricane force winds, either ...

Basically, I wouldn't mind if Gaston was upgraded, but at the same time, the small wind difference from upgrading/not upgrading doesn't change its fairly significant wind/flooding impact across South Carolina ...

SF

[BUD]

Gaston was a Hurricane because of the fact that to many records of 80-85mph wind reports in Charleston and not gust.This storm just caught everyone off guard.

[Derecho]

Gaston was a Hurricane because of the fact that to many records of 80-85mph wind reports in Charleston and not gust.

Please cite these reports specifically? They exist anywhere outside of Bastardi's fevered mind?

[countbob]

I have a sincere question. What difference does it really make whether Gaston was a hurricane or not. Here in Richmond we had more deaths and dollar damage than with hurricane Isabel last year.

Does it make any kind of practical difference or is it only academic.

Thanks to anyone who can shed light on this subject for me.

- cb

[Derek Ortt]

Often when 65KT hurricanes make landfall, there are no reports of sustained hurricane force winds as they remain over the open water.

However, if this was a cane at landfall, the eye wall had the lowest DBZ values I can remember

[rjp]

Gaston wasn't a hurricane. How can I be so sure? Because the damned tree I want to get rid of is still there!! Any good hurricane would have gotten rid of it.

[B-Bear]

I have a sincere question. What difference does it really make whether Gaston was a hurricane or not. Here in Richmond we had more deaths and dollar damage than with hurricane Isabel last year.

Does it make any kind of practical difference or is it only academic.

Thanks to anyone who can shed light on this subject for me.

- cb

The only reason it is being discussed is for statistical purposes--so people know whether it will in the end be classified as a tropical storm or as a hurricane.