When is a hurricane a storm in a teacup?

I am obliged to Peter Risdon, about whom I was once rather rather rude, for introducing me to 'In from the cold'  and a post by one of its residents, 'Spook86', who pointed out yet another piece of scientific jiggery-pokery in which the current administrators of the US establishments that cover the recording and forecasting of hurricanes have been playing a little fast and loose with what exactly constitutes a real hurricane.  According to a previous 'old-timer' who used to run the show, anything from 4 to 6 of what were said to be 'hurricanes' this year would not have been so classified in his time.  'Spook86' being, apparently, an old intelligence hand, has no difficulty in analysing the motivation of the 'scientists' concerned that drives them to be a little careless with the 'actualite'!