Go-Jamaica Weather Watch

Gustav was a very interesting storm that provided a stark reminder to all of us that the damage potential of tropical storms should not be under-estimated.

Many Jamaicans assumed that Gustav was not worth taking seriously because of its classification as weaker than a minimal hurricane.  However, its bite was a lot worse than its bark!

The unfortunate reality is that tropical storms and hurricanes are classified by the depth of their central pressure and the resulting strength of their winds; not by the extent of their rain bands or their flood potential.  Maybe another scale ought to be devised.  Ironically, tropical systems that have affected Jamaica in the past have caused more loss of life due to the rain factor than the wind factor.

I am sure that in the future we will take notes of those spiral bands, or outer bands, that are constantly referred to in the Met Office Bulletins.  Most of the “punch” in Tropical Storm Gustav came from these swirling bands behind the centre of the system.  They produced severe thunderstorms and violent rain along with strong gusts of wind, albeit these gusts seemed to be a lot less consequential.

The older ones among us would have recalled the effects of other Tropical Storms like Florence in 1953 and Gilda in 1973; floods that have etched their names in our memories for a long time to come.  Wilma in 2005 and Noel in 2007 are also among that number, and Gustav now joins that esteemed list.