Ra iv/hc-xxxii/Doc. 2(1), p. World meteorological organization
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- REPORTS OF HURRICANES, TROPICAL STORMS, TROPICAL DISTURBANCES AND RELATED FLOODING DURING 2009 Summary of the 2009 Hurricane Season in the French West Indies
- Tropical Storm ANA
- Hurricane BILL
RA IV/HC-XXXII/Doc. 4.2(1), p.
REPORTS OF HURRICANES, TROPICAL STORMS, TROPICAL DISTURBANCES AND RELATED FLOODING DURING 2009 Summary of the 2009 Hurricane Season in the French West Indies (Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Barthelemy and St. Martin) Although 2009 had been a relatively quiet season in the North Atlantic and Caribbean basin, it brought some threat to our islands, during a concentrated period of time from mid August to the beginning of September. During these three weeks, the north half of the Lesser Antilles (mostly the Windwards Islands) has been under the influence of Tropical Storm Ana, the swell of Hurricane Bill and Tropical Storm Erika. These threats led to activate the “vigilance” watch and warning system for the French West Indies. Tropical Storm ANA: ANA has been a non-well-defined tropical cyclone during a large period of its life and the forecasts have over estimated the intensity as it was approaching the Lesser Antilles. 
The communication for a general purpose was a bit difficult for this weak system, with lots of uncertainties in forecasts and also because everybody was focusing on the following system that had a good chance to become a strong hurricane (Bill). The orange level for a tropical storm has been activated only for a few hours and then downgraded to yellow for heavy rain and gusts only when it appeared with a good level of confidence that the system was going to decay during the following 24 hours. 
Rainfall amounts were under 40mm on 12 hours; Gusts around 90 km/h were recorded in St-Barth (48kt) and St-Martin (44kt) and mean waves heights came up to 3m/3,5m with peak waves around 4,5m. Hurricane BILL: Unlike Ana, Bill has been a well defined hurricane. The forecasts guidances were all in agreement and consistants from day to day giving a strong hurricane passing “sufficiently far” north of the Windwards Islands. So, the threat was concerning the cyclonic swell only which had a very light impact, even with big rolls, because of its usual north-east direction. Data recorded from the waveriders in Guadeloupe and Martinique: 
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