Gaston (2010)

A small tropical cyclone formed from a tropical wave that moved off Africa on 28 August 2010 and became a tropical depression early on 1 September about 800 nautical miles west‑southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. The system briefly strengthened to tropical storm strength the same day, then weakened to a depression and degraded to a remnant low by 2 September. The remnant low moved westward across the central Atlantic and into the Caribbean Sea during the first week of September before dissipating southeast of the Dominican Republic on 8 September.

There were no landfalls by the cyclone as a tropical storm or depression. The system remained well over open water during its brief period as a tropical cyclone and later as a remnant low passed south of Puerto Rico and into the Caribbean without making a recorded tropical‑cyclone‑stage landfall.

The analyzed peak intensity was 35 knots (40 mph) with a minimum central pressure of 1005 mb, corresponding to a weak tropical storm at peak. Post‑analysis noted that satellite scatterometer data suggested peak winds may have been closer to 30–35 kt and it is possible Gaston never truly reached sustained tropical‑storm force.

Storm surge impacts were not reported and no coastal water heights were associated with Gaston. The system’s remnants did produce locally heavy rainfall across portions of Puerto Rico; the report’s rainfall map shows notable totals in southern Puerto Rico but does not list many station-specific extremes in the text. No ships reported tropical‑storm‑force winds associated with Gaston.

There were no reported deaths, no coastal watches or warnings, and no reports of damage or injuries tied to Gaston. Forecast models and the National Hurricane Center did not anticipate the cyclone’s genesis until roughly 24 hours before formation, and intensity forecasts generally overpredicted strengthening; track forecasts were near or slightly better than average.