Interesting discussion on Last Mays system

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

http://www.typhoon2000.ph/garyp_mgtcs/may04sum.txt



Caribbean Sea Low-pressure System
---------------------------------

A broad area of low pressure formed over Nicaragua and Costa Rica
around 19 May and produced heavy rains over portions of Central America.
NHC issued a Special Tropical Disturbance Statement (STDS) that morning
in order to raise an alert about the potential for life-threatening
rains. The system drifted slowly eastward into the open Caribbean Sea,
and another STDS was issued on the morning of the 23rd with the focus
now being the threat of heavy rains in Jamaica, eastern Cuba, Puerto
Rico and Hispaniola. The combination of the Caribbean LOW and high
pressure over the southwestern Atlantic was forecast to produce winds
of 20-25 kts over the Greater Antilles and adjacent waters.

According to David Roth, a meteorologist at the Hydrometeorological
Prediction Center in Maryland, the system was a closed surface LOW with
an expansive wind field, was non-frontal, and had convection northeast
of the center. In addition, there was a large, linear inflow band near
the Lesser Antilles well east of the center. In David's opinion, the
system exhibited some characteristics of a subtropical system. He also
remarked that in some ways it resembled Tropical Storm Frances in 1998
in the Gulf of Mexico. Frances was clearly a warm-core system with a
huge wind field and a long inflow band. To the author's knowledge, no
gales were reported in association with the May Caribbean system.

As the LOW moved slowly across the Greater Antilles and into the
open Atlantic, very heavy rains fell across the region, especially in
Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Following are a few representative
rainfall amounts sent by Huang Chunliang and David Roth:

Country Station WMO ID Lat Lon Alt (m) Rainfall (mm)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dom. Rep. Caucedo 78485 18.4 N 69.7 W 18 210.2
Dom. Rep. Santo Dom. 78486 18.4 N 69.9 W 14 189.1
Dom. Rep. Barahona 78482 18.2 N 71.1 W 26 150.3
Barbados Catbalogan 78954 13.0 N 59.5 W 56 107.9

The above amounts were recorded during the 24-hour period from 23/1200
to 24/1200 UTC. (Thanks to Chunliang and David for sending them.)

The death toll from mudslides and flooding in the Dominican Republic
and Haiti has been placed at around 2000. This represents the greatest
natural disaster on the island of Hispaniola since Hurricane Flora in
1963 claimed well over 5000 lives. Over 1000 bodies were discovered in
Mapou, a remote town near the Haitian/Dominican border that was all but
destroyed. Another 500 persons were killed elsewhere in southeastern
Haiti and 158 in the riverside town of Font Verettes. Over 300 bodies
were recovered in the Dominican Republic with hundreds more missing.

Thanks to John Wallace for sending the press report from which the
above paragraph was taken. The full report can be found at:

<http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1225768,00.html>

Also, additional stories on the severe flooding in the Caribbean region
and in Central American can be found at the following URL:

<http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/vLND>

(Report written by Gary Padgett)

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

Here is tropical storm Frances report...

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1998frances.html

[Andrew92]

And may I ask, what do these two posts have in common?

-Andrew92

[Hurricanehink]

That really should have been upgraded in the post-analysis.

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

And may I ask, what do these two posts have in common?

-Andrew92

Andrew92 the reported noted Frances.

[Andrew92]

OK, I get it now. Thanks Matt and Hink. (dumb moment for me there!)