|
|
- Updates from the Islands -- - Puerto Rico - - |
|
|
More recent reports can be found on another page.
| - Helene and TD 13 |
|
|
1:30PM AST
Well, TD 12 did become Helene, even if
a lot later than expected, and in the Gulf, rather than to our
east.
As of 11:AM today the mean-looking wave south of
the Cape Verdes has been upgraded to TD 13 The first coordinates were 11.7N
23.7W, with winds at 35mph., BP 1008 and moving WNW at 17mph. It really is a
good 6-7 days away from the islands,but unless the shearing from the southwest
persists, it looks like it may develop into a pretty strong system. All
interests in the Caribbean have to watch this one.
Victor.
|
| - TD 12 |
|
|
9/16/00 12:30AST
That was a nice two week lull in the season, but
it's active again, and how!
Florence and Gordon to the west, TD 12 heading
towards the mid-Leeward Islands (with storm watches already posted for some),
plus a rather worrisome wave further southeast at 10N40W. Tracking models
predict a course for "Helene-to be" south of PR but this is up for
grabs.
Let's keep our eyes open, watching the satellite
loops, and hope for minimal development in the days ahead.
In Arecibo: partly cloudy; temp. 88º; wind 10-15
mph.; 1014mB.
Victor
|
| - Ernesto |
|
|
9/2/00 0700AST
The "small-probability-to-develop" TD8 has been
quickly upgraded and named TS Ernesto with winds of 40mph. His estimated
center of circulation was at 16.1N, 49.8W at 5:00AM AST. This
center of circulation,and therefore, these coordinates and expected track, are
not clear at this moment, so well have to wait for further development before
shrugging this one off.
Right now it's bright and sunny in Arecibo. We had
.08in. of "rain" during the night; pressure at 1012mB and temp. 72deg.(courtesy
of my new Weather Monitor ll).
Victor
|
| - TD 8 |
|
|
Time to start tracking again! TD8's 11:00PM
estimated position is at 15.5N 48.6W with winds at 35 mph, moving
west at 14mph but with unfavorable conditions to strengthen, according to
forecasters. It's about 1200 miles east of Arecibo and would take 3 days
(tuesday) to arrive, at present speed. Predicted tracks will miss the islands to
the north.
Let's hope for this and keep an eye.
Victor
|
| - unusually quiet so far... |
|
hola, After Debby, the island got back to it's usual things. Seems to me it has been very quiet so far, in the storm spawning areas of the atlantic. Here we are almost to the point of getting in a drought. Hope not. I got so used to watch a storm whipping by every week, not to say the usual evening rain, these last years the it makes me nervous to watch the IR and not see anything of importance stirring up in good ol' ATLantic. Nah, i guess its just pessimist thinking. This year will be a no show. I hope. _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. |
| - Debby's aftermath |
|
It's still raining in most of Puerto Rico. Flash floods everywhere. Most of our rivers have jumped their banks. In the Central & Western Interior of the island we're having scattered thunder, lightening and rain. Businesses have opened, however schools in the public school system for the most part are closed. We opened for business "En un Sillon de Ciales" (artesania Villalobos) as usual today, but only to re-setup our showroom, equipment etc..... ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com |
| - Debby in Puerto Rico |
|
Here at Puerto Rico the rain is evrywhere.Major roads are flooded some private schools had suspended classes and the public school too.We are on a flash flood warning until 11 am for all the islands.Many people have been evacuated in places like Puerto Nuevo,Villamar,Vistamar and other places that have flooding problems.One death reported in Guaynabo yesterday. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com |
| - Debby |
|
|
8/23/00 7:30AM AST
Rain has been constant over all the island since
2AM. Many roads are blocked due to floods. Flash flood warnings in effect for
all of
PR. However schools, universities, banks and
government offices will renew operations today.
Unfortunately, there has been one death associated
with Debby: a man fell from his roof trying to put down his TV
antenna.
Debby is now grazing the north coast of Santo
Domingo and has slowed down to 16mph, which is not a good sign. We
hope
our brother Dominicanos escape major
damage.
Two new waves in the eastern Atlantic have to be
watched.
Victor
|
| - The rain boss, the rain |
|
San Juan, 8/23/00 0805 - Was it the rain or the plane? In either
way if Fantasy Island were being filmed in San Juan today it would
be the "the rain boss, the rain". The whole island is under water
basically. There are floods everywhere and rivers are spilling over
their banks so this is Debby's legacy to us.
For the past 8 hours it has been solidly raining and though the
doppler says there might be a reprieve in sight it just doesn't feel like
it is. Lead grey skies, wind and water are the main menu courses
for us today and though it is almost 8:00 in the morning you could
not tell it by looking at the sky. Many schools and businesses are
closed and police are asking people to stay in their homes unless
they need to be out and about. Traffic jams in San Juan are
humongous due to flooded roadways. Non critical goverment
employees have not been given the day off as yet and the governor
has not spoken out on this emergency since last night.
We'll keep everyone posted...-= Luis =-
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Christian Motorcyclists Association - Puerto Rico
http://www.cmausa.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
| - Debby at 1:30am AST |
|
For my location (Cayey, PR) mountains;
Constant light to medium rain, with winds (S to SE) and strong gusty winds
every now and then. Lots of lightning, though. Getting ready to resume work
this morning like everyone else I guess.
Judging from my local conditions up here, there might be some peril of
floods and mudslides in the morning. Hope not.
Noticed in the IR loops of NHC that the storm is kind of like wobbling
around and not moving away much. In fact, it shows that the western part of
the island (aguadilla) is having more of Debby than the eastern part ever
did. All official watches are dropped by now, though.
Maybe I'm just seeing blurred by now....
--- just my two cents ---
hazta luego
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
|
| - Finally Water and a Little Wind |
|
San Juan 8/23/00 0030 - We have finally begun to feel something of
Debbie. Thunder, rain and a little wind. Nothing too hard but after all
the waiting at least the plants are getting watered. Utilities are all
working, so if this is all we thank God for taking Debbie out to sea.
A check on the doppler tells us that all of PR/VI and east is under a
blanket of rain. About to call it a night so thanks for hanging in there
with us and we wish our brothers and sisters in the path of this
cyclone the best and may Debbie not come close.
The COQUI's are happy and singing!
-= Luis =-
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Christian Motorcyclists Association - Puerto Rico
http://www.cmausa.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
| - Finally Water and a Little Wind |
|
San Juan 8/23/00 0030 - We have finally begun to feel something of
Debbie. Thunder, rain and a little wind. Nothing too hard but after all
the waiting at least the plants are getting watered. Utilities are all
working, so if this is all we thank God for taking Debbie out to sea.
A check on the doppler tells us that all of PR/VI and east is under a
blanket of rain. About to call it a night so thanks for hanging in there
with us and we wish our brothers and sisters in the path of this
cyclone
the best and may Debbie not come close.
The COQUI's are happy and singing!
-= Luis =-
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Christian Motorcyclists Association - Puerto Rico
http://www.cmausa.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
| - Debby |
|
|
Debby: A Bust
Tuesday, Aug.22, 2000 (6PM local
time). Hurricane Debby stood-up the four-million inhabitants
of Puerto Rico today. They kept up with all the TV Weather Reports
on her whereabouts and what she was doing out in the Atlantic throughout the
day. They anxiously waited her arrival and were fully prepared for
her. If it is possible for one to say that the islanders were
disappointed at not being able to host Debby, then they were disappointed.
In this north coast city of Arecibo, the rainfall was
minimal- perhaps less than half-an-inch. The winds were not of
sufficient intensity to fly a kite. The surfers fared better.
From all the public warnings on local TV to surfers in the area, there must have
been some beautiful waves out there. The undertow is quite dangerous
during and following these storms.
Well, the island's large corporations' employees, for
the most part, had the day off. Many of these had set up special
phone numbers for their workers to dial up in the AM hours. The radio
stations do a good job of reporting these closings too. Civil workers had
the day off. Schools were closed, as they serve as potential refugee
centers. No decision had been made about the status of classes for
tomorrow, at the time of this report.
Once again, we have come through unscathed.
The Emergency Management team of the administration deserve thanks for their
fine preparations, good reports to the citizenship and not alarming the
public. The island's media, especially TV, provided the always
excellent coverage of this possibly non-event that we have been accustomed to
here in P.R.
Tony Hernandez
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
|
| - DEBBY |
|
Debby, decided to keep her shifting pattern. Hurricane Debby is now located at 19.2N & 67.03W. Right now we are experiencing heaving rains, thunder, lightening and are under a flash flood warning for Southern CIALES, OROCOVIS, JAYUYA, VILLALBA, PONCE AND JUANA DAIZ. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com |
| - DEBBY |
|
DEBBY HAS ONCE AGAIN MADE A SLIGHT SHIFT, SHE IS MOVING AT 22MPH; LOCATED AT
LAT. 19.2 NORTH & LONG. 66.2 WEST WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS AT 75MPH WITH
EVEN STRONGER WINDS AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS (i.e. MOUNTAIN TERRAIN)
AS I MAKE THIS ENTRY, DEBBY IS PASSING JUST NORTH OF PUERTO RICO'S NORTHERN
COAST.
SPECIAL NOTE SHOULD BE TAKEN THAT DUE
TO THE SIZE OF DEBBY THE ISLAND WILL
CERTAINLY FEEL DEBBY'S FORCE TO SOME DEGREE.
TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS IN EFFECT AS FOLLOWS;
PUERTO RICO AND IT'S SURROUNDING ISLANDS.
THE NORTHERN COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC & THE BAHAMAS ARE UNDER
HURRICANE WARNING.
CUBA HAS ISSUED A HURRICANE WATCH FOR THE PROVINCES OF GUANTANAMO, HOLGUIN &
LAS TUNAS.
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
|
| - 8/22 06:15 pm update |
|
|
A bit of
trivia might be in order. In 1906, Puerto Rico had its hottest day in history,
when the temperature reached 103°. The international
airport is opening, as of 7:00 pm The breeze,
if it could be called that, has dissipated at my locale. The San Juan
Weather Bureau office issued a special bulletin, at 5:30 pm. It can be read at http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/pr/hurricane.html I guess it’s
time to call it a day, unless something unforeseen occurs. It’s definitely time
to take a few minutes, and all of us, at this end of the Caribbean, should thank
the powers that be that we were spared. Just 24 hours ago, we were all within
Debby’s sights. Let’s take Debby as a practice run, since the season is just
starting. rafa://puerto
rico well stocked
up with black and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W PD:
Does anyone have a idea of what to do with sausage and corned beef? Maybe I’ll mix
it with Renacujo’s cat food. |
| - 8/22 5:15 pm update |
|
|
The
wind has picked up since 4:45 pm. My wind direction indicator (cigarette smoke,
primitive, but effect) has the breeze blowing from the south, very unusual
since normally it’s from the east or northeast. And I’ve been hearing doors
bang in the building, so it must have caught us unprepared. At least the stuffiness
reported at mid-afternoon, has dissipated. At
5:00 pm, the hurricane warning was downgraded to a tropical storm warning. It’s
due north of San Juan, at 19.1°N, 66.1°W, about 45 miles. Debby is still
running along at 21 mph. Authorities are still advising that tropical force
winds might still be felt on Puerto Rico’s north coast. The tropical storm
warning might be revoked at 11:00 pm. They are warning that people should
remain indoors, due to the danger of gusts. They are expecting 3-4” rain in the
next 6 hours. Experience has proven that’s enough to have some flooding. The
eye should be just north of Mayagüez, Aguadilla within about 3 hours, although it
will be further away from the coast. rafa://puerto rico well
stocked up with black and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - 8/22 4:10 pm update |
|
|
Conditions unchanged. A slight
drizzle and overcast. I agree with my fellow correspondent, Doctor Víctor, from
Arecibo. Although local lore also has a tubo que chupa. Not very scientific,
put what the heck. rafa://puerto rico well
stocked up with black and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W BULLETIN-IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED HURRICANE DEBBY LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR 325 PM AST TUE AUG 22 2000 ...DEBBY MOVING WEST-NORTHWEST ACROSS LOCAL ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS NORTH OF FAJARDO... ...WATCHES AND WARNINGS... ...HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO...INCLUDING CULEBRA AND VIEQUES... ...SMALL CRAFT IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT... ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR ST THOMAS AND ST JOHN IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ST CROIX IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF PUERTO RICO... ...COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR ALL COASTS OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS... ...COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH...EAST AND SOUTH COASTS OF PUERTO RICO...AND FOR ALL COASTS OF CULEBRA AND VIEQUES... ...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE WEST COAST OF PUERTO RICO... THIS STATEMENT IS FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO. ...RECOMMENDED ACTIONS... RESIDENTS AND VISITORS OF THE NORTHERN U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND NORTHEAST PUERTO RICO...INCLUDING CULEBRA...SHOULD REMAIN IN AND NEAR SHELTER UNTIL DEBBY HAS PASSED. ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS SHOULD BE EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON...WITH HEAVY TO TORRENTIAL RAINFALL LIKELY. CONTINUE TO MONITOR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATEMENTS AND ADVISORIES ON DEBBY BY STAYING TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...AND LOCAL TV AND RADIO. ...STORM UPDATE... AT 300 PM AST...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DEBBY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 65.6 WEST...OR ABOUT... ...55 MILES NORTHWEST OF ST THOMAS ...ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH OF FAJARDO... ...ABOUT 35 MILES NORTHEAST OF SAN JUAN... MOVING WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 20 MPH...32 KM/HR...WITH THIS MOTION EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS MAINLY NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER. SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES. RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT RECENTLY REPORTED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 995 MB ...29.38 INCHES. ...WIND IMPACTS... HURRICANE DEBBY WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE WEST-NORTHWEST ACROSS THE LOCAL ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON. CULEBRA...NORTH...AND NORTHEAST SECTIONS OF PUERTO RICO WILL FEEL THE OUTER RAINBANDS OF THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE DURING THE NEXT 2 TO 3 HOURS...WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 TO 60 MPH...AND POSSIBLY HURRICANE FORCE WINDS GUSTS. TROPICAL STORM WINDS WILL AFFECT ALL THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND MOST OF PUERTO RICO DURING THE AFTERNOON. ...STORM TIDE IMPACTS... SURF AND TIDES WILL REMAIN HIGH THE COASTS OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS...CULEBRA...VIEQUES...AND THE NORTH AND EAST COASTS OF PUERTO RICO THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. VERY HIGH SURF...COASTAL FLOODING...AND BEACH EROSION SHOULD BE EXPECTED. ABOVE NORMAL TIDES...ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES...ARE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE SOUTHEAST OF DEBBY AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE LOCAL WATERS. MAXIMUM STORM TIDES EXPECTED WITH DEBBY WILL RANGE 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE NORTH...EAST...AND SOUTHEAST COASTS OF THE LOCAL ISLANDS. THE THREAT OF COASTAL FLOODING IS ALWAYS GREATER NEAR THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE. THE TIMES OF NEXT HIGH TIDES WILL OCCUR AT: CHRISTIANSTED ST CROIX: 913 PM TONIGHT MAGENS BAY ST THOMAS: 141 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO: 157 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING ...MARINE IMPACTS... THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS OUR LOCAL ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS THIS AFTERNOON AND QUICKLY SPREAD WEST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE NORTHERN MONA PASSAGE AND OFFSHORE ATLANTIC DURING THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR THE CENTER OF DEBBY OF 60 TO 75 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 80 KNOTS SHOULD BE EXPECTED...WITH SEAS BUILDING 15 TO 20 FEET AROUND THE NORTH SIDE OF DEBBY. MARINERS SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO RIDE OUT ANY HURRICANE ONBOARD THEIR VESSEL. ...RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL... RAINFALL TOTALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASSAGE OF DEBBY WILL INITIALLY BE LOWER THAN PREVIOUSLY ANTICIPATED...RANGING 2 TO 4 INCHES THROUGH 430 PM. HOWEVER...RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AND INCREASE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS DEBBY BEGINS TO REACH THE MONA PASSAGE. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 5 TO 7 INCHES IS POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT...WITH LARGER AMOUNTS OVER HIGHER TERRAIN. THIS RAINFALL WILL RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING OF GUTS... RIVERS...CREEKS AND STREAMS...AND WILL LIKELY PRODUCE LANDSLIDES IN AREAS OF STEEP TERRAIN. ...TORNADOS... WATERSPOUTS SHOULD BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE LOCAL ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS THIS AFTERNOON...AS THE SPIRAL BANDS AND SQUALLS FROM HURRICANE DEBBY CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS ATLANTIC WATERS. SOME OF THESE MAY MOVE TOWARDS THE NORTH COASTS OF THE LOCAL ISLANDS...AND COME ASHORE ACROSS THE NORTH COASTS AS ISOLATED TORNADOS. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON HURRICANE DEBBY CAN BE FOUND IN THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER TROPICAL CYCLONE PRODUCTS AND TROPICAL CYCLONE MARINE ADVISORIES...AS WELL AS PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS AND SHORT TERM FORECASTS ISSUED BY THE SAN JUAN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. ...OR VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUERTO RICO AND U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET AT (ALL LOWERCASE LETTERS). HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/SJU OR HTTP://WWW.UPR.CLU.EDU/NWS THE NEXT SCHEDULED STATEMENT BY THE SAN JUAN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE WILL BE ISSUED BY 600 PM THIS EVENING. |
| - Debby |
|
|
8/22/00 3:30PM
Well, Yuquiyú (Taino god) has done it
again! Or was it our resident ET in El Yunque? Whoever it was, Debby
was shoved a nudge to
the north and will miss us. They were all in
vacations when Georges hit us in '98... ;-)
No hurricane force winds expected, although heavy rains
are forecasted for all of the island. Flood warnings have been issued
islandwide. Right now we are just getting
drizzles in Arecibo and almost no wind, though this should pick up
later.
Unless Debby makes unexpected loops like
Alberto, we can bid her farewell and good
riddance! The Bahamas and the eastern
coast of the US have to keep an eye on her. Let's
hope she follows Alberto into the central Atlantic and dies there!
For us, let's go back to monitoring the coast of
Africa and the eastern Atlantic.
BTW, everyone showed up this morning for their
scheduled surgery and are all OK.
Victor
|
| - Special Bulletin San Juan Weather Office 8/22 2:10 pm |
|
|
http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/pr/hurricane.html rafa://puerto rico well
stocked up with black and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W BULLETIN-IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED HURRICANE DEBBY LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR 210 PM AST TUE AUG 22 2000 ...DEBBY MOVING WEST-NORTHWEST ACROSS LOCAL ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS NORTH OF CULEBRA... ...WATCHES AND WARNINGS... ...HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO...INCLUDING CULEBRA AND VIEQUES... ...SMALL CRAFT IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT... ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR ST THOMAS AND ST JOHN IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ST CROIX IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF PUERTO RICO... ...COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR ALL COASTS OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS... ...COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH...EAST AND SOUTH COASTS OF PUERTO RICO...AND FOR ALL COASTS OF CULEBRA AND VIEQUES... ...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE WEST COAST OF PUERTO RICO... THIS STATEMENT IS FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO. ...RECOMMENDED ACTIONS... RESIDENTS AND VISITORS OF THE NORTHERN U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND NORTHEAST PUERTO RICO...INCLUDING CULEBRA...SHOULD REMAIN IN AND NEAR SHELTER UNTIL DEBBY HAS PASSED. ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS SHOULD BE EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON...WITH HEAVY TO TORRENTIAL RAINFALL LIKELY. CONTINUE TO MONITOR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATEMENTS AND ADVISORIES ON DEBBY BY STAYING TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...AND LOCAL TV AND RADIO. ...STORM UPDATE... AT 100 PM AST...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DEBBY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 65.2 WEST...OR ABOUT... ...35 MILES NORTHWEST OF ST THOMAS ...ABOUT 35 MILES NORTH OF CULEBRA... ...ABOUT 55 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF SAN JUAN... MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS MAINLY NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER. SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES. RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT RECENTLY REPORTED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 999 MB ...29.50 INCHES. ...WIND IMPACTS... HURRICANE DEBBY WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE WEST-NORTHWEST ACROSS THE LOCAL ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON. CULEBRA...VIEQUES...AND NORTHEAST SECTIONS OF PUERTO RICO WILL FEEL THE OUTER RAINBANDS OF THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE DURING THE NEXT 2 TO 3 HOURS...WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 TO 60 MPH...AND POSSIBLY HURRICANE FORCE WINDS GUSTS. TROPICAL STORM WINDS WILL AFFECT ALL THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND MUCH OF EAST AND NORTHERN PUERTO RICO DURING THE AFTERNOON. ...STORM TIDE IMPACTS... SURF AND TIDES WILL REMAIN HIGH THE COASTS OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS...CULEBRA...VIEQUES...AND THE NORTH AND EAST COASTS OF PUERTO RICO THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. VERY HIGH SURF...COASTAL FLOODING...AND BEACH EROSION SHOULD BE EXPECTED. ABOVE NORMAL TIDES...ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES...ARE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE SOUTHEAST OF DEBBY AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE LOCAL WATERS. MAXIMUM STORM TIDES EXPECTED WITH DEBBY WILL RANGE 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE NORTH...EAST...AND SOUTHEAST COASTS OF THE LOCAL ISLANDS. THE THREAT OF COASTAL FLOODING IS ALWAYS GREATER NEAR THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE. THE TIMES OF NEXT HIGH TIDES WILL OCCUR AT: CHRISTIANSTED ST CROIX: 913 PM TONIGHT MAGENS BAY ST THOMAS: 230 PM THIS AFTERNOON SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO: 246 PM THIS AFTERNOON ...MARINE IMPACTS... THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS OUR LOCAL ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS THIS AFTERNOON AND QUICKLY SPREAD WEST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE NORTHERN MONA PASSAGE AND OFFSHORE ATLANTIC DURING THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR THE CENTER OF DEBBY OF 60 TO 75 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 80 KNOTS SHOULD BE EXPECTED...WITH SEAS BUILDING 15 TO 20 FEET AROUND THE NORTH SIDE OF DEBBY. MARINERS SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO RIDE OUT ANY HURRICANE ONBOARD THEIR VESSEL. ...RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL... RAINFALL TOTALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASSAGE OF DEBBY WILL INITIALLY BE LOWER THAN PREVIOUSLY ANTICIPATED...RANGING 1 TO 3 INCHES THROUGH 300 PM. HOWEVER...RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AND INCREASE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AS DEBBY BEGINS TO REACH THE MONA PASSAGE. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 5 TO 7 INCHES IS POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT...WITH LARGER AMOUNTS OVER HIGHER TERRAIN. THIS RAINFALL WILL RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING OF GUTS... RIVERS...CREEKS AND STREAMS...AND WILL LIKELY PRODUCE LANDSLIDES IN AREAS OF STEEP TERRAIN. ...TORNADOES... WATERSPOUTS SHOULD BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE LOCAL ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS THIS AFTERNOON...AS THE SPIRAL BANDS AND SQUALLS FROM HURRICANE DEBBY CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS ATLANTIC WATERS. SOME OF THESE MAY MOVE TOWARDS THE NORTH COASTS OF THE LOCAL ISLANDS...AND COME ASHORE ACROSS THE NORTH COASTS AS ISOLATED TORNADOS. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON HURRICANE DEBBY CAN BE FOUND IN THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER TROPICAL CYCLONE PRODUCTS AND TROPICAL CYCLONE MARINE ADVISORIES...AS WELL AS PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS AND SHORT TERM FORECASTS ISSUED BY THE SAN JUAN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. ...OR VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUERTO RICO AND U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET AT (ALL LOWERCASE LETTERS). HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/SJU OR HTTP://WWW.UPR.CLU.EDU/NWS THE NEXT SCHEDULED STATEMENT BY THE SAN JUAN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE WILL BE ISSUED BY 400 PM THIS AFTERNOON. STRIPLING |
| - 8/22 3:15 pm update |
|
|
There are about 85 people in 2
shelters in Culebra. At 3:00 pm there were reports of rain, and the wind was
picking up in Vieques. The San Juan Weather Bureau is placing Debby’s eye, at
3:00 pm, at 18.8°N, 65.6°W, about 35 miles NW of San Juan. Conditions in San
Juan, unchanged since last post, as per sticking my head out the window. rafa://puerto rico well
stocked up with black and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - Debby 230p |
|
Still nothing out of the usual up here in the
mountains. A little rain now and then, but nothing
else. Stores are open, people are working, everything
like it usually is.
Never hurts to be prepared, though.
Hazta luego.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail – Free email you can access from anywhere!
http://mail.yahoo.com/
|
| - 08/22 2:15 pm update |
|
|
Fast
food restaurants are already announcing that they’ll be open tomorrow. Besides
that, not much to report from San Juan, except that Debby has been a practice
run for a major storm. I have yet
to close a window due to wind or rain. There’s been a drizzle within the past
hour and it’s definitely stuffy, since the wind has died down. Authorities have
announced that they’ll have another dog and pony show at the end of the day. At
this time, Debby’s eye should be just north of Fajardo, on Puerto Rico’s
northeast corner. This is based on latest satellite photos. That puts her about
5O miles ENE of San Juan, as per the 1800Z forecast. The eye is still expected
to past 30 miles north of San Juan, at it’s closest point. I guess we’ll feel
some tropical storm force winds, mainly in gusts. I doubt we’ll see sustained
tropical force winds. rafa://puerto rico well
stocked up with black and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - 8/22 1:00 pm update |
|
|
At
noon, local TV had a live report from a major hardware store. Incredibly, they
were doing brisk business, selling power generators, water tanks and wooden
paneling. Makes me wonder if these people are going to have enough time to
install everything. I’m
still waiting for something to happen. Conditions are basically unchanged since
my last post. There’s barely a breeze. rafa://puerto rico well
stocked up with black and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - more pictures |
|
Here is another link to look up if you like doppler images but in animated mode (last four hours). Updated by the hour it gives you the doppler image just east of Anegada to just east of DomRep. http://www.wx.com/nbr/ssanim.cfm?radar=JUA Hope everyone comes out OK! Best Wishes...-= Luis =- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Christian Motorcyclists Association - Puerto Rico http://www.cmausa.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- |
| - DEBBY |
|
DEBBY HAS ONCE AGAIN MADE A SLIGHT SHIFT, SHE IS MOVING AT 22MPH; LOCATED AT LAT. 18.5 NORTH & LONG. 64.4 WEST WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS AT 75MPH WITH EVEN STRONGER WINDS AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS (i.e. MOUNTAIN TERRAIN) AS I MAKE THIS ENTRY, DEBBY IS CROSSING THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON WILL BE NEAR THE NORTH COST OF PUERTO RICO. SPECIAL NOTE SHOULD BE TAKEN THAT DUE TO THE SIZE OF DEBBY THE ENTIRE ISLAND WILL CERTAINLY FEEL DEBBY'S FORCE. HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT AS FOLLOWS; ANGUILLA, BRITISH AND U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS, PUERTO RICO AND IT'S SURROUNDING ISLANDS, THE NORTHERN COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HAITI NORTH OF PORT AU PRINCE. WOW! THE WIND JUST STARTED UP HERE IN CIALES, MY DRAPES ARE FLYING ALMOST TO THE CEILING AND THE SKIES JUST LET GO AND IT'S RAINING HARD. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com |
| - good picture of a naughty girl |
|
Yes I forgot to add on my last post this little url so you all can see Debbie in the San Juan doppler. A pretty picture indeed! http://www.intellicast.com/LocalWeather/World/Caribbean/PuertoRic o/SanJuan/BaseReflectivity/ Have fun and enjoy from ¿sunny? (for how long?) San Juan -= Luis =- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Christian Motorcyclists Association - Puerto Rico http://www.cmausa.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- |
| - Getting Better?? |
|
Still sunny here in San Juan, birds chirping and no real breeze to
worry about. The rain of this morning has subsided, yet right about
now the eye is just north of St. Thomas and a couple of hours away
from us. Last flight out/in of Luis Muñoz Marin Intl. is right after noon
and we continue to be happy due to the fact that though Debbie is
still heading west she is also tracking north and that is just fine.
>From the looks of things we will not get the brunt of the fury as the
eye will track north of San Juan a few miles off and the south
quadrant of this cyclone is its weakest. I am thinking now about
those ahead, my prayers and best wishes are with you, Godspeed!
-= Luis =-
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Christian Motorcyclists Association - Puerto Rico
http://www.cmausa.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
| - 08/22 11:30 am Update |
|
|
As of about 10:00 am, there were 3
open shelters, with 16 people in Culebra, 6 in Vieques and 1 Luquillo. This was
not so much due to rain, but as a preventive measure. The 11:00 forecast has Debby’s eye
passing north of San Juan, by some 30 miles, at about 1:00 pm. At this time,
she’s about 80 miles east of the Puertorican eastern most tip, and 110 miles
east of San Juan. Since hurricane force winds are concentrated to Debby’s
north, we might be spared 74+ mph winds. We are expecting 5-10” of rain, more
upon the mountains. Rain is concentrated to Debby’s east. Authorities are
warning we are not out of the woods yet, and will not be so until 8:00 pm. They
are also warning that rivers will flood their banks, as the wash-off from the
mountains, tries to flow into the ocean. The good news is the Debby is still
racing along at some 22 mph. Flash flood warnings are being
issued as I type this message. At least, the EBS is working. I’m expecting to loose electrical
power at any moment. But I’ ll try my best to post a hourly blow
by blow. Debby is within the range of our
Doppler radar, so we can keep our eye on her. http://www.intellicast.com/LocalWeather/World/Caribbean/PuertoRico/SanJuan/BaseReflectivity/content.shtml It’s pretty much clear now,
although a rather large area of rain is seen just north of the Virgin Islands. In San Juan, without any sophisticated
technology, (stick my head out the window) it’s starting to overcast, although
there’s been very little rain, so far. Every now and then, the wind picks up
and dies down. I’d say conditions are progressively worsening, but as yet, not
critical. rafa://puerto rico well stocked up with black
and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - HURRICANE DEBBY |
|
I just received an update from our local weather authorities. Debby remains at lat. 18.2 north & lat. 63.5 west; maximum sustained winds are 75mph with higher gusts. Debby is now at approximately 60-65 miles east, southeast of the British Virgin Islands. Hurricane warnings REMAIN in effect for the Leeward Islands from Anguilla & St. Estatius west towards the British & U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and surrounding islands and for the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. Here in Ciales, there's very little traffic; it is partly sunny, a few scattered showers. Lots of hammering, children playing; BUT the 'coqui' isn't singing. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com |
| - Another Day in Paradise |
|
It's now about mid morning on Tuesday and weather is begining to
turn a little ugly with very grey skies and lots of water, thank God
no winds yet. Business are still boarding up and traffic is a little
light in the San Juan metro area. People are getting gas still and
making late preparations. Supermarkets though open are pretty
much are runned out of canned goods and other foodstuff before
Debby's unwelcomed arrival. Bottled water is scarce.
If predictions are what they will be, it looks like the storm will make
landfall near Fajardo sometime between noon and 2:00PM. The
translocation speed is still about 18 MPH which will make it
pass on quickly and not let it get to destructive. Everyone is hoping
and waiting a little longer yet to see if it will devert further North.
Hope it misses everyone...-= Luis =-
======================================================
Christian Motorcyclists Association - Puerto Rico
Claiming the highways and byways for Christ in Borinquen
http:\\www.cmausa.com
======================================================
|
| - Debbie & My Islands |
|
| Updates this morn indicate She will pass over Culebra about noon today. This places My home of these past 15 years, the Chinese cutter Ilio Aukai Elua in the northwest quadrant....which is good. No winds now, but should begin a crescendo about 9:00 am. Hurr. force winds extend outward on the nw quad about 60 nms, so we'll have about three hours of that but probably little rain. One good site for anyone interested in how I reached that conclusion is : www.met.fsu/edu/explores/tropical.html........that and 18 hurrricanes passing over us in the past 40 years yields some experience. |
| - Debby |
|
Hola,
Here on the mountains everything is calm right now. From the FLOAT2 loops
at NHC i can see that Debby is taking a more northenly path. If its true,
then I guess we will be spared.
We are prepared anyways, and today the sun is shining up here. A little
rain once in a while, though. We are expecting tropical storm winds by
12:00pm AST. Got to go to town to get some snacks, I hope there is something
left today in stores, since yesterday was little hectic in them. Long lines
waiting for those Electronic Payment Systems to catch up the demand and
spell the magic word... "approval".
Take care, everything will be fine.
Hazta Luego.
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
|
| - 8/22 0715 Update |
|
|
The 0500 Z bulletin places Debby’s
eye passing just north of Puerto Rico. Shelters have been opened in Vieques and
Culebra since 6:00 am. Others will open after 8:00 am and as requested by
mayors. Ferry service to Vieques and Culebra has been suspended. Some flights
out of San Juan have been cancelled. Last flights out will be at 10:00 am, at
which time the international airport will close down. Some readers have asked me for
local information. I would recommend WKAQ-AM, Puerto Rico’s largest all news
radio network. http://www.wkaqradio.com/envivo.htm Another possibility is Channel 11
on local TV. http://teleonce.centennialpr.net/
Click on “Las noticias en Vivo”
and “Oprima aqui” Both stations are in Spanish. WKAQ
should be on the air continuously. Channel 11 does have all their news programs
on the internet. They should be on the internet at 12:00 noon and at 6:00 pm.
(These times are one hour LESS than EDT, or –4 GMT.) Real Player needed for
both options. If all else fails, local information,
in English, is available from the San Juan Weather Bureau at http://www.upr.clu.edu/nws/products.html I caught a rather heavy and windy
rain shower at midnight and at about 4:00 am. But besides this, it’s still pretty
calm in San Juan. In fact, the sun is trying it’s darnest to poke through the
clouds. Renacuajo is running all over the
place, without a worry in the world. I guess she knows there’ll always be something
on her plate, come hell or high water (no pun intended) rafa://puerto
rico stocked up with black and white
cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - Debby |
|
|
8/22/00 6:30AM AST
What to believe? Local radio news programs are
reporting a north shift with NO probability of hurricane force winds for the
island??!!
I really don't see that shift in my "Tracking the
Eye" software or in the sat. loops. Wobbling seems to be common in these systems
once they hit land. I wouldn't let my guard
down! Anyways, LET'S HOPE IT'S TRUE!!!
Things don't look so bad in Antigua or St. Marteen,
thanks heavens.
RIight now it's cloudy in Arecibo, not raining and
we're getting some gusts (20-25 mph).
Well, time to head for the OR suite..... surgery as
every tuesday.
Victor
|
| - HURRICANE DEBBY |
|
Here's the latest update 2:20AM, T.S. Debby is NOW Hurricane. Now located at lat. 17.5 north and long. 61.7 west, winds at 75mph and movement speed is now at 20mph. In Ciales, we are experiencing heavy rains and wind gusts which can be attributed to rain bands associated with Hurricane Debby. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com |
| - 8/22 0400 Guess estimate |
|
|
Local
TV is reporting that there is brisk breeze in Vieques, as of 11:00 pm, as well as
the first rain is already falling. Electrical power is intermittent. In
San Juan, it’s the proverbial calm before the storm; except the usual
busybodies that, as the clock ticks to midnight are still hammering and sawing
and dragging around lawn furniture and flowerpots. Puerto
Rico’s largest bank will remain closed on Tuesday, and I expect other banking
institutions will follow suit. I saw a rather large amount of garbage on the
sidewalks, awaiting tomorrow’s pick-up, which I suspect will be sadly lacking.
(Apparently, we Puertoricans have some innate genetic problem that forces us to
leave these details until the last minute.) My
OWN guess estimate, taken with a large grain of salt, contains some good news
and some bad news. Debby’s
barometric pressure is dropping, and as winds increase, the 0600 GMT bulletin
should make Debby a Category 1 hurricane. The eye is slightly north of previous
forecasts, but it’s probably a slight wobble, as she tries to figure out what
her future is. She
should pass just south of Vieques, with tropical force winds at about 8:00 am,
eastern Puerto Rico, at about 10:00 am and over San Juan, at noon. Western
Puerto Rico should get tropical force winds near 3:00 pm. If we get any winds
nearing hurricane strength, they should be felt 2 hours later. Therefore San
Juan, should feel winds near 60 mph at about 2:00 pm. Hurricane force winds,
will be about 10-20 miles from the eye. I expect that we won’t feel too much
rain, until we are very near the eye, and as she trails along. She’s racing
along at about 20 mph. So, any 60+ mph winds will only be felt for an hour or
two, not really much, if you are not at ground zero. Yours
truly is going to catch a nap, since Tuesday is going to be a long day. rafa://puerto rico stocked up with black and white cookies at
18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - 8/22 0400 Guess estimate |
|
|
Local
TV is reporting that there is brisk breeze in Vieques, as of 11:00 pm, as well as
the first rain is already falling. Electrical power is intermittent. In
San Juan, it’s the proverbial calm before the storm; except the usual
busybodies that, as the clock ticks to midnight are still hammering and sawing
and dragging around lawn furniture and flowerpots. Puerto
Rico’s largest bank will remain closed on Tuesday, and I expect other banking
institutions will follow suit. I saw a rather large amount of garbage on the
sidewalks, awaiting tomorrow’s pick-up, which I suspect will be sadly lacking.
(Apparently, we Puertoricans have some innate genetic problem that forces us to
leave these details until the last minute.) My
OWN guess estimate, taken with a large grain of salt, contains some good news
and some bad news. Debby’s
barometric pressure is dropping, and as winds increase, the 0600 GMT bulletin
should make Debby a Category 1 hurricane. The eye is slightly north of previous
forecasts, but it’s probably a slight wobble, as she tries to figure out what
her future is. She
should pass just south of Vieques, with tropical force winds at about 8:00 am,
eastern Puerto Rico, at about 10:00 am and over San Juan, at noon. Western
Puerto Rico should get tropical force winds near 3:00 pm. If we get any winds
nearing hurricane strength, they should be felt 2 hours later. Therefore San
Juan, should feel winds near 60 mph at about 2:00 pm. Hurricane force winds,
will be about 10-20 miles from the eye. I expect that we won’t feel too much
rain, until we are very near the eye, and as she trails along. She’s racing
along at about 20 mph. So, any 60+ mph winds will only be felt for an hour or
two, not really much, if you are not at ground zero. Yours
truly is going to catch a nap, since Tuesday is going to be a long day. rafa://puerto rico stocked up with black and white cookies at
18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - Re: DEBBY |
|
Debby has shifted slightly in a northern direction, this now implies that it could hit landfall in the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico; however since tropical storms and hurricanes are known to zig-zag it certainly would not be wise to assume it will continue shifting north versus west. Although, as of the most recent update Debby continues to be classified as a Tropical Storm; in all probabilities it could be a full blown hurricane by early tuesday morning. Now, here in Ciales it's like a laundermat. Those that had to work came home to make the necessary security preparations and many are still washing clothes at this late hour 11:48PM and still others are testing their generators. Here at home, we have secured all our lumber, heavy equipment etc... as we can't risk losing our production materials we literally have hundreds of orders to fill for christmas from adults rockers to doll furniture, "En un Sillon de Ciales" furniture artesans. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com |
| - 8/21 2200Z update |
|
|
As of 5:00
pm PRT, a hurricane warning has been issued for Puerto Rico. According to the
chief of the Weather Bureau in San Juan, when Debby reaches Puerto Rico, its
winds should by about 95-100 mph. He does not expect any change in the route
forecast. That means the eye should pass along Puerto Rico’s southern coast,
possibly making landfall in Cabo Rojo. BUT since tropical force winds extend 125
miles in the northeast quadrant and 50 miles in the northwest quadrant a GOOD,
if not ALL of Puerto Rico will feel hurricane force winds. People are being
warned that with a system this large, the eye’s position has no bearing. He’s
expecting a Category 1, borderline Category 2 system, dumping 6-8” on the coast
and 10-15” of rain. Winds should
start to pick up by mid-afternoon Tuesday. The big question mark is if Debby is
going to continue at its 22 mph trot. If it does slow down, wind and rain
damage will be worst. It will be
interesting to see conditions tonight in Guadalupe. http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/TFFR.html I’ll watch conditions
in St. Thomas tomorrow morning, as well as the BVI’s. Hang in there folks. You’ve
seen worst and made it safely through. My fellow correspondent from Guadalupe
is forcing me to brush-up on my college French. Hardware
stores and supermarkets are operating on an extended schedule. For some
strange reason, water service has been seriously affected. The water company
has not offered a reason. The state
university has announced that it will close down on Tuesday and Wednesday. The governor
has suspended work for non-emergency state government employees. Public schools
will close down on Tuesday. The blue law goes into effect at 6:00 am on
Tuesday. The National Guard has been activated, and vacations suspended for the
police. Shelters will open at 2:00 pm on Tuesday. They will number about 326.
There are about 17,000 cots ready for use and distributed all over the island.
(I just hope people are not in shelters for months, as occurred during George) Dialysis
patients are being warned that they should start on their hurricane diet. (I
kid thee not.) Ferry service to Vieques and Culebra will end at noon tomorrow. From
that point on, people on these two off-shore islands are pretty much on their
own. The international airport will continue open, until further notice. Any
flight cancellations are due to the fact that airlines want to get aircraft to
safe shelter. Water levels at the dams are low, so floodgates will not be opened
prior to Debby. The water company is blaming the citizenry for the lack of
service, due to hoarding. The lack of water pressure or service should
normalize as the demand drops. Renacuajo is
fixing up her private shelter under the bed. In fact, I caught her hoarding
food, just in case. Not a stupid cat, she. rafa://puerto rico stocked up
with black and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - 8/21 2200Z update |
|
|
As of 5:00
pm PRT, a hurricane warning has been issued for Puerto Rico. According to the
chief of the Weather Bureau in San Juan, when Debby reaches Puerto Rico, its
winds should by about 95-100 mph. He does not expect any change in the route
forecast. That means the eye should pass along Puerto Rico’s southern coast,
possibly making landfall in Cabo Rojo. BUT since tropical force winds extend 125
miles in the northeast quadrant and 50 miles in the northwest quadrant a GOOD,
if not ALL of Puerto Rico will feel hurricane force winds. People are being
warned that with a system this large, the eye’s position has no bearing. He’s
expecting a Category 1, borderline Category 2 system, dumping 6-8” on the coast
and 10-15” of rain. Winds should
start to pick up by mid-afternoon Tuesday. The big question mark is if Debby is
going to continue at its 22 mph trot. If it does slow down, wind and rain
damage will be worst. It will be
interesting to see conditions tonight in Guadalupe. http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/TFFR.html I’ll watch conditions
in St. Thomas tomorrow morning, as well as the BVI’s. Hang in there folks. You’ve
seen worst and made it safely through. My fellow correspondent from Guadalupe
is forcing me to brush-up on my college French. Hardware
stores and supermarkets are operating on an extended schedule. For some
strange reason, water service has been seriously affected. The water company
has not offered a reason. The state
university has announced that it will close down on Tuesday and Wednesday. The governor
has suspended work for non-emergency state government employees. Public schools
will close down on Tuesday. The blue law goes into effect at 6:00 am on
Tuesday. The National Guard has been activated, and vacations suspended for the
police. Shelters will open at 2:00 pm on Tuesday. They will number about 326.
There are about 17,000 cots ready for use and distributed all over the island.
(I just hope people are not in shelters for months, as occurred during George) Dialysis
patients are being warned that they should start on their hurricane diet. (I
kid thee not.) Ferry service to Vieques and Culebra will end at noon tomorrow. From
that point on, people on these two off-shore islands are pretty much on their
own. The international airport will continue open, until further notice. Any
flight cancellations are due to the fact that airlines want to get aircraft to
safe shelter. Water levels at the dams are low, so floodgates will not be opened
prior to Debby. The water company is blaming the citizenry for the lack of
service, due to hoarding. The lack of water pressure or service should
normalize as the demand drops. Renacuajo is
fixing up her private shelter under the bed. In fact, I caught her hoarding
food, just in case. Not a stupid cat, she. rafa://puerto rico stocked up
with black and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - Debby |
|
|
8/21/00 5:30PM AST
The breeze has been picking up in the last hours in
the north coast. The sea is quite choppy with swells battering the Arecibo
breakwater. No rain here, yet.
Preparations are evident throughout the community.
Boat owners in the local club nautico inland marina are tying up
their yachts with extra lines. Supermarkets,
hardware stores and gas stations are crammed (prices are fixed since this
morning by
government decree).FEMA officials have arrived to
the island. Schools, universities and non-essential government offices will be
closed tomorrow. Shelters are being prepared.
Public transportation will continue until noon tomorrow.
The 5 PM coordinates still make the track coming
almost directly towards PR's southern coast, making the rest of the
island
susceptible to the brunt of the storm to the north.
Let's hope it continues with its 22mph sprint making its effect as quick as
possible.
Good luck, caribeños!
Victor
|
| - Debbie |
|
Hopefully, she'll pass 50 nms south of us but when you have lived aboard as long as we have, you plan for the worse and work your way back. |
| - DEBBY |
|
DEBBY IS PRESENTLY LOCATED AT LAT. 16.3 NORTH, 59.4 WEST. AND MOVING IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION A 22 MPH. CURRENTLY, THE ISLAND IS UNDER A HURRICANE WARNING. WITH THE STRONG POSSIBILTY OF LANDFALL, I HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT EVERYONE BE PREPARED AT THE VERY LATEST TUESDAY IN THE MORNING. TODAY HAS BEEN VERY WINDY AND PARTLY CLOUDY. HERE IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF CIALES ALL IS CALM, PERHAPS BECAUSE AFTER 'GOERGES' PEOPLE ARE TAKING THINGS MORE SERIOUSLY AND PREPARING AS SOON AS THE HURRICANE SEASON STARTS AT LEAST HERE IN THE 'COMUNIDAD VILLALOBOS CUNA DE ARTESANOS EN MUEBLES'. :) ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com |
| - 8/21 17:15Z Update |
|
|
The 1500z
8/21 does not bode well for Puerto Rico. The forecast places Debby just south
of Puerto Rico, making land fall on Puerto Rico’s southwestern corner, just
after midnight or in the wee hours of Wednesday. Conditions should start to
deteriorate in San Juan as the sun sets on Tuesday. Reports from the US and BVI
will be helpful, in terms of how much rain to expect. First of
all, the beaches on the south coast are man made and swallow. In fact, a major
road from Ponce to Mayagüez is, at times, just a few feet from the beach. The
area is low-lying, increasing the danger of flooding; taking into consideration
the fact that God only knows how rain will wash off the mountains. If the storm
surge coincides with high tide, we are facing major problems, since rain
running down from the mountains will cause rivers to overflow their banks
up-river, rather than at the coast. The fact that we will face Debby’s
northeast quadrant only makes the situation worst. Prices controls
on major foodstuffs and building material has been in effect since early this
morning. Authorities
are announcing meetings to get their plans up to speed. Shelters have not been
open yet. This won’t occur until schools close down. Classes in public school
will probably be suspended tomorrow, if a hurricane watch is announced at
2100Z. rafa://puerto rico stocked up with
black and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - 8/21 17:15Z Update |
|
|
The 1500z
8/21 does not bode well for Puerto Rico. The forecast places Debby just south
of Puerto Rico, making land fall on Puerto Rico’s southwestern corner, just
after midnight or in the wee hours of Wednesday. Conditions should start to
deteriorate in San Juan as the sun sets on Tuesday. Reports from the US and BVI
will be helpful, in terms of how much rain to expect. First of
all, the beaches on the south coast are man made and swallow. In fact, a major
road from Ponce to Mayagüez is, at times, just a few feet from the beach. The
area is low-lying, increasing the danger of flooding; taking into consideration
the fact that God only knows how rain will wash off the mountains. If the storm
surge coincides with high tide, we are facing major problems, since rain
running down from the mountains will cause rivers to overflow their banks
up-river, rather than at the coast. The fact that we will face Debby’s
northeast quadrant only makes the situation worst. Prices controls
on major foodstuffs and building material has been in effect since early this
morning. Authorities
are announcing meetings to get their plans up to speed. Shelters have not been
open yet. This won’t occur until schools close down. Classes in public school
will probably be suspended tomorrow, if a hurricane watch is announced at
2100Z. rafa://puerto rico stocked up with
black and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - Re: DEBBY |
|
Looks like Debby Tropical Storm is headed our way. We are all making the necessary preparations to secure our lives and property. As it appears, Debby will be a hurricane by the time it reaches our area. I suggest that all travel plans in and out of Puerto Rico be confirmed with your travel agent and/or airline; as changes will probably be necessary in the event Debby strikes/landfall. Correspondent, Elva Cruz de Villalobos ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com |
| - 8-21 1100Z Update |
|
My trip to the local supermarket, revealed shelves pretty much empty. Fresh meat was going for half-price. At 6:00 am, there were at least 50 people waiting for the doors to open. Authorities are alerting the populace of the dangers posed by Debby. As of the 0900Z forecast, she should brush San Juan in the wee hours of Wednesday. I'd expect rain as the sun sets on Tuesday. Unless there's a major change in her trajectory, Puerto Rico's north coast will, at least feel tropical force winds. I personally hate these night storms. I hope, and it might web occur, Debby will be delayed, so we'll get it's full force early Wednesday morning. People still have George and Hugo fresh in their minds. The problem we might face will be electrical power. When Hugo hit Puerto Rico, electrical posts were knocked over like toothpicks. Bear in mind, Hugo just barely had 90 mile an hour winds. The posts were replaced by cement posts guaranteed to withstand 150 mile winds. These were also knocked over by George. So, where we stand, is yet to be seen. The other problem regards Carraízo Dam. It has had a temporary flood gate in place for over 2 years, and still not been repaired. If that gate goes, there will be major flooding in San Juan, not necessarily due to rain. About the only good news is that we'll get a temporary reprieve from the electoral campaign. Although, the candidates will appear from under the rocks, as soon as the winds calm, handing out cots, food, water, building material, et als. rafa://puerto rico stocked up with black and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - 8-21 1100Z Update |
|
My trip to the local supermarket, revealed shelves pretty much empty. Fresh meat was going for half-price. At 6:00 am, there were at least 50 people waiting for the doors to open. Authorities are alerting the populace of the dangers posed by Debby. As of the 0900Z forecast, she should brush San Juan in the wee hours of Wednesday. I'd expect rain as the sun sets on Tuesday. Unless there's a major change in her trajectory, Puerto Rico's north coast will, at least feel tropical force winds. I personally hate these night storms. I hope, and it might web occur, Debby will be delayed, so we'll get it's full force early Wednesday morning. People still have George and Hugo fresh in their minds. The problem we might face will be electrical power. When Hugo hit Puerto Rico, electrical posts were knocked over like toothpicks. Bear in mind, Hugo just barely had 90 mile an hour winds. The posts were replaced by cement posts guaranteed to withstand 150 mile winds. These were also knocked over by George. So, where we stand, is yet to be seen. The other problem regards Carraízo Dam. It has had a temporary flood gate in place for over 2 years, and still not been repaired. If that gate goes, there will be major flooding in San Juan, not necessarily due to rain. About the only good news is that we'll get a temporary reprieve from the electoral campaign. Although, the candidates will appear from under the rocks, as soon as the winds calm, handing out cots, food, water, building material, et als. rafa://puerto rico stocked up with black and white cookies at 18.45°N, 66.08°W |
| - Update |
|
People here in the Enchanment Island Puerto Rico are starting to prepare for the Tropical Storm Debby.The Puerto Ricans are going to the Supermarkets in this very hot afternoon to get food and other important things.At 500 pm the Hurricane center located Debby at 15.2 North and 51.5 west moving West North West at 18 mph (30 km per hour).The maximium sustained winds are 50 mph with higher gusts and the lowest barometric pressure at 1003 mb.They are Hurricane Watches in effect for St Marteen,Saba and St Eustatius and Tropical Storm Watches for Antigua,Barduda and Anguilla.The next bulletin at 800 pm. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com |
| - Debby |
|
|
Here we go!
Watches have been issued for St. Marteen, Saba, St.
Eustatius, Antigua, Barbuda, and Antigua. Category 1 force winds are
expected there late tomorrow night or early
tuesday.
If strengthening occurs, as expected, we in PR
will be feeling stronger activity by wednesday before dawn.
It's time to get the tormenteras (storm
shutters) ready, check the water and food supplies, fill up the tanks with
gasoline, gather
loose stuff from the yards, fill up the gen-set
diesel tank, move the boats to safe anchorages, check insurance policies
(remember,
no changes can be made after watches are issued! ).
Tomorrow will be a busy day!
Let's hope for a shift to the north.
Buena suerte to all!
Victor.
|
| - Debby to-be |
|
|
TD 7 is expected to become Debby by the next
advisory at 11AM. Watches and warnings will probably be issued today for
some
of the islands.
Track forecasts are pretty scary, especially for the northern
Caribbean.
Warm SST's and very little shearing,
together with no current "vacuums" in the
north, could make this system dangerous to us.
At the present speed it could be affecting
PR late tuesday/early wednesday.
This one must be
taken seriously!
Victor
|
| - Chris |
|
hola,
Well, Chris is almost at the front door. It is supposed to miss all of us in
the caribbean by a few miles up north. Right now, at 2100Z, the winds are
weak-storm strenght, but the thing might keep on dropping Mb's, just as it
enters the hotter waters around us.
And with never-ending Alberto in the middle atlantic dancing merengue with
those cold fronts, well you never know if it could nudge Chris on a more
southernly path.
Then there are those persistent waves coming off africa and the middle
Atlantic. I'll be keeping an eye on anything that forms west of 40 and south
of 12.5... with the humidity Chris leaves on its trail, could fuel a mayor
one. Just guessing, though, I'm no weatherman here.
THINGS ON THE ISLAND are normal everyday stuff. There is some mention on the
news, but people on the street do not think it will affect us in any way. We
will see. I don't think there will be much rush this year, since people here
still remember Georges, and it seems that they are well prepared. Or at
least, they know what it will be like if we "hit jackpot" this year. Anyway,
I know that it will not happen this year and all lesser antilles will be
spared of any hurricane, so help us god.
Pedro Luis
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
|
| - TD 6 |
|
|
TD 6, possibly TS Chris in the next
24-48 hrs., is the second threat of the season for us in hurricane alley. At
5:00A.M., AST,
8/18/00, the not-so-well-defined center of
circulation was estimated to be at 15.6N, 54.4W, with winds at 35 mph. If it
continues it's
WNW track it could
miss us (barely) to the north. Hopefully it could bring some rain to our
area and alleviate the current draught.
The next wave in the eastern Atlantic also has to be watched, as well as the one
just coming off the coast of Africa. Surface
temps. are getting
warm enough to make development of these more likely. Yep, were getting near the
peak of the season.
Alberto is on his longevity
record-breaking dance in the middle of the Atlantic, and threatening to
intensify, geez!
Let's keep our eyes open, fellow
caribeños!
Victor
|
| - Alberto |
|
|
Good news! Alberto is at 18.8N as of 5:00PM (AST),
and it is expected to be downgraded to tropical storm later today.Only the
fact
that the central pressure is estimated to be 980
mbs.( which is 4 mbs. lower than this AM) is probably indicative of
strengthening,
rather than weakening, is of some
concern.
Well, it seems the computer models are correct up
to now and Don Alberto will miss the Caribbean. Let's keep
watching!
Victor
|
| - Alberto |
|
|
Our first hurricane of the season! Although
computer models predict a track well north of the islands, we should not go to
sleep on this one. At 5:00 A.M. (16.2N, 40.3W) the system seems to have wobbled
towards the west...lets hope it resumes its WNW course in the next
hours.
It's not a bad idea to have the basic preparations
ready, as these will last for the whole season.
This AM's San Juan radar shows rain activity in the
Virgins, Culebra and southeast of Puerto Rico. The sun is up and shining in
Arecibo, but we expect showers (hopefully!) in the afternoon.
Victor Vivoni
|
| - sto rm |
|
This year seem to be slow for storms or huracnes
lets hope we are wright this year.
It seems that we will be free.
German From Puerto Rico
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints!
http://photos.yahoo.com
|
| Back to top |