- Updates from the Islands -

- - Puerto Rico - -

- Update from Ponce

By Pam Taylor <ptponcepr at hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 22:02:37 +0000

Well, almost too good to be true. The sun has left us early here in Ponce and dark black clouds and rumbling thunder from the south heading north to us here in the hills. Humidity at 62% with temperature at 84.9 F, barometer steady. Looking at the visable Atlantic loop, Fiona is about equal to us to the West. Radar loop for San Juan is down again....but winds are picking up and its getting dark fast. Snapped a photo attached.

Stay safe!
Pam

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- Good Morning from Sunny Ponce!

By Pam Taylor <ptponcepr at hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 12:55:18 +0000

So nice to see the sun this morning...I just had to post the blue sky for encouragement! Humidity at 77%, Temperature at 79.7F and barometer is steady! Yeah! Hopefully we'll get a day or two to dry things out before something else comes along. Took my usual walk with the dogs this morning up around the other side of the farm road. Lots of leaves and branches in the road and alot of banana trees toppled. Other than that not much else. Hope you all are safe and weathered the storms. Looks like Fiona is heading north and far enough away so as not to affect us too much...but I note that "thing" behind it has gotten a little more organized and will be keeping an eye on that....'tis the season.

Stay safe.

Pam

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- life after EARL

By Ray in El Yunque <weather at puertoricodaytrips.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:29:30 -0400

Today was an overcast, breezy day. A couple of short, light rain
sprinkles this afternoon. Then the sun came out a little ... felt like
a groundhog -- I saw my shadow! Spent the day cutting and picking up
fallen/broken bananas, heliconias and gingers. Also dragged to
furniture back out to the pool and porches. We were without power and
water all day ... just got both back around 7pm.

// Ray

---
Sent from Rio Grande, PR at the edge of El Yunque National Forest
http://www.PuertoRicoDayTrips.com - Your source for things to do in Puerto Rico
http://www.CoquisHideaway.com - Stay with us in the rain forest

- From the Finca - Jayuya PR

By Suzanne Perta <fincadelseto at gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:28:32 -0400

All cool here on the mountain! Of course, no power and no phone; roaring river; downed bananas & bamboo; and rain showers keep coming through - but we fared well. Almost 4in of rain all total - we call that "mist in the montana"!

Suzanne

fincadelseto at gmail.com

- After Earl

By "Cynthia Calvin" <cyncalvin at yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:57:09 +0000

We didn't get hit with too much - driving around town and beaches now - big 
winds & wave swells .. Big washing machine out there.  Still no power in Puntas 
Rincon!
Sent from my BlackBerry in Rincon, Puerto Rico

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- Hurricane Earl- Aftermath Arecibo

By Celso Hernandez <celsoth at hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:41:26 +0000

     In the late hours last night, we started to experience some strong winds in my area of Arecibo, which is 50 miles west of San Juan. Gusts, I estimate at 35mph. Accompanying were waves of rain. We hunkered down to get some sleep and it was difficult to ignore the sounds of the strom.   But just after 1AM, Tuesday morning (all local time) the winds and the rain just died. It seemed like someone threw a switch.
     There has been absolutely no more rainfall. The garden suffered only two bent plants out of about 100. The wife blames me for not protecting them better. The breezes linger... sometimes reaching perhaps 15 knots. Sorry, here in Puerto Rico we mix knots, kilometers, foot-pounds, miles almost at leisure.
     Some of my relatives in Arecibo and nearby Hatillo have been out of electric power for at least 24 hours. Luckily, my neighborhood has had no black outs.
      Elsewhere in the Island:   180,000 customers are out of electricity. As reported earlier: no government offices are open. Schools are closed. The state government decided yesterday to let go its work force early, at 12PM, and the resulting influx of motor vehicles on the Metropolitan area roads caused perhaps the worse bumper to bumper congestion ever. It seems the private sector had decided on the same early release and it was chaos in San Juan streets. This coupled with the loss of traffic lights due to the high winds resulted in mayhem. Traffic cops could not get to the vital intersections to direct raffic as had been planned.
     But, in conclusion I think that Earl was the storm that could but didn't!   Fiona, which follows, seems a quieter beast.

- Update from Ponce

By Pam Taylor <ptponcepr at hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:50:18 +0000

The reminants of Hurrican Earl are still eerily hanging in the valley here and out over Isla de Caja de Muertos. Low hanging clouds and sporatic rain still here. Humidity at 73%, tempature at 79.2, with barometer rising. Hunkered down in the guest room in the garage when we saw the tornado warning box on the radar and read that it formed in Utuado and was moving south through Juyaya, which is north of us here in the hills of Ponce! Much rain and wind throughout the night...but no sign of the tornado passing by! Thank you! Hopefully these reminants of Earl will pass and we will have some sun to dry out before the next...Fiona...comes our way!

Pam

- Dodged the EARL bullet

By Ray in El Yunque <weather at puertoricodaytrips.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:07:03 -0400

Lost power at some point last night - still out. Overall a pretty quiet night. 
Only git 0.3" of rain last night. That's a total of 3.8" in past 24 hours. 
Overcast and breezy now. Based on radar images it looks like we're out of the 
woods. Need to walk around yard and see what plants we lost , if any. 

www.PuertoRicoDayTrips.com - Your source for things to do in Puerto Rico
www.CoquisHideaway.com - Stay with us in the rain forest

- Hurricane Earl- night in Arecibo

By Celso Hernandez <celsoth at hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:16:14 +0000

     At 9:30PM local time, I drove into the city- Arecibo. The main road was almost deserted. One or two cars had stopped on the sea shore road.   The occupants joviantly taking the spray from the waves that smashed into the rock barrier below. The town square was completely empty. That is not unusual at that time of night. It is not a lively town as it was many decades ago. There was some activity near the bridge leading out of town. A few cars parked along the river and the occupants enjoying the cool breezes stirred by Earl. On the way back I passed just a few places still open for business: the fast food burger establishments and a couple of BBQ chicken places. By the way, barbecue is a local Taino Indian word and refers to the method the fire wood is stacked at cooking. This is contrary to what some Texans claim.
      The roads were clean and there was no flooding. Now, just past 11PM, the rains are getting stronger and there was some lightning activity on the trip home. The winds are also picking up and doors slam shut all through the house.   I see the lights flicker and I fear that electric power is about to be lost.   So let me sign out, but not before reporting that school and the government are out tomorrow, Tuesday. Of course essential personnel is exempted.
      The Hurricane is officially at Category 4, but slipping past Puerto Rico.. to the north.

- yes, Earl came and now he's SLOWLY trying to pull away

By "Eric D Oliver" <ericdoliver at yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:11:00 -0400

We have had heavy downpours today but tonight we’re having heavy bands of rain with sporadic high winds. SO FAR (knock on wood) PREPA is keeping the power on Puerto Rico for us in the San Juan Metro Area. GOOD JOB! They trimmed all the tree limbs away from power lines this past week and were still trimming yesterday. Schools and stores (well, I don’t consider Walgreen’s a store because they NEVER close.) and business closed at noon along with non-essential healthcare services (Clinics) at the same time. Tren Urbano seemed to be doing a good job staying in service and on schedule. However, the Autopista had its usual “el tapon” (drain plug….traffic jam) when I passed it at about 4pm. And EVERYONE was at every Walgreens buying everything they could find. Hopefully we’ll either see gray skies or sunshine tomorrow and normalize. Bendiciones to all!

Eric in Levittown, PR

- Earl in Rincon PR

By "Cynthia Calvin" <cyncalvin at yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:44:02 +0000

We have something going on.  Power is out so not looking at current status of 
Earl, but might do that as 12hrs before I thought we'd get what we getting now. 
 Video attached if you can view it :)
Sent from my BlackBerry in Rincon, Puerto Rico

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- Hurricane Earl-north coast PR

By Celso Hernandez <celsoth at hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:45:43 +0000

     Here in Arecibo, a coastal city 50-miles west of San Juan, we've been experiencing on/off showers since mid morning today Monday, 30th of August 2010. The showers usually last about ten minutes followed by a calm of perhaps an hour.   At least that is how they have manifestesd themselves until this afternoon at 2PM.
     The governor held a news conference, surrounded by his key people and experts on emergency management. This was at noon time and another follow up is scheduled this evening. There are scattered electric power outages mostly in the eastern most part of the 100x35 -mile island. Some 56,000 were immediately out of service at 11AM and work crews were out in force to restore power.
     Locally, in Arecibo there are no reports of inundations. The 8 to 12-inches of rain predicted to be left by the storm conditions, and hurrricane conditions in the east should cause many flooding events by tomorrow morning when Earl is predicted to turn north. Presently it is a Category 3 hurricane. The governor is cited as saying that the cutoff point for the hurricane strength winds is actually Arecibo on the north coast and Ponce in the south. Arecibo is a city of 106,000 population and has the largest land area as an entity. The winds are not expected to reach hurricane velocity in Arecibo and points west. Ditto for Ponce.
     By noon-time the gas stations were backed up with vehicles waiting their turn to fuel up.   The local super markets shelves were quickly stripped of bottled water and canned goods.
     As I make this entry, it seems we are in one of those tranquil phases: neither is it raining nor are there any wind gusts hitting the area.
     I hope to enter a report tonight as Earl nears the island. I am a "ham" radio operator and today I started to monitor the local 2-meter traffic around the island. The radio amateurs really provide good reports of their local conditions, which I hope to relay.

Tony Hernandez
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
1440 local time

- From the Finca - Jayuya

By Suzanne Perta <fincadelseto at gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:27:49 -0400

Heavy rain, gusty winds, and considerable thunder on the mountain! Grateful Earl isn't any closer.

Suzanne

fincadelseto at gmail.com

- Update from Ponce

By Pam Taylor <ptponcepr at hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:15:59 +0000

Wind has just picked up...lots of gusts and rain bands bending the trees (and blowing the avocados!), sticks and leaves blowing by! Thundering a bit to the north! Humidity at 63%, temperature at 82.6 F, barometer still steady. Got a text from my younger daughter in Cruz Bay, St. John, saying Earl hasn't hit fully there yet...wind gusts a bit over 20 knots. Will keep you posted. We are totally solar so no power outages expected.

Stay safe!
Pam

- Rincon, the day before Earl

By "CC from RinconSportsMassage.com" <rinconsportsmassage at gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:46:19 +0000

We just visited downtown to see what was going on and grab some extra food.  It 
is pretty quite around downtown Rincon.   The energy seems high, but really all 
seems a normal Monday.
There is a good wind and high clouds but no rain yet on our West Coast of PR
We will put up our storm shutters tonight - just to be safe - we are hopeful 
Earl will turn up North as forecast!
Safe wishes to all !!
CC & Jim in Puntas Rincon
Sent from Rincon, Puerto Rico BlackBerry http://www.RinconSportsMassage.com & 
http://www.413geek.com

- getting some wind and rain

By Ray in El Yunque <weather at puertoricodaytrips.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:13:32 -0400

It's been raining off and on since 7am ... alternating between misting
and downpour.
We had some pretty strong wind around 9am, but that's gone.
We've received 1.5" of rain since 7am.

// Ray

---
Sent from Rio Grande, PR at the edge of El Yunque National Forest
http://www.PuertoRicoDayTrips.com - Your source for things to do in Puerto Rico
http://www.CoquisHideaway.com - Stay with us in the rain forest

- Update from Ponce

By Pam Taylor <ptponcepr at hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:47:04 +0000

Things here in Ponce are pretty much the same. A little more cloud coverage and occasional wind gusts and rain, but nothing major. Enough wind in the gusts to knock a few large, ripe guavas from the tree when I was walking the dogs about 20 minutes ago...I'll add those to my lunch menu! Attached another picture...larger than the last so you can actually see (I'll get the hang of this!) the increasing clouds. Humidity at 67%, temperature at 81.5 F and barometer steady.

Stay safe!
Pam

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- Report from Ponce

By Pam Taylor <ptponcepr at hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:24:59 +0000

Clouds are starting to move in rather rapidly from the north heading southward with a nice breeze ruffling the trees in an irregular pattern. Humidy at 60% and tempature 80.6 F with a steady barometer. Very hazy this moring out over Isla de Caja de Muertos. I've attached two pics, one from yesterday and one from today for comparison. We've moved all "flying objects" from the construction site and hope we don't get too much wind and rain. Live webcam from St. John not showing much action on the passenger dock there. Will report again later today as Hurricane Earl passes.

Pam

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- grey and breezy

By Ray in El Yunque <weather at puertoricodaytrips.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:02:39 -0400

Woke this morning to grey clouds coming over the mountain to the
southwest and a little breeze.

// Ray

---
Sent from Rio Grande, PR at the edge of El Yunque National Forest
http://www.PuertoRicoDayTrips.com - Your source for things to do in Puerto Rico
http://www.CoquisHideaway.com - Stay with us in the rain forest

- Earl

By "Eric D Oliver" <ericdoliver at yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:59:35 -0400

All is quiet in Metro San Juan. The skies are partly cloudy and clam. The coquis are peeping as usual. The calm before the storm.

Today I went to Costco to drop off prescriptions at 1130am and encountered the parking lot nearly full, and the store was wild with activity. People were fighting over water and buying generators like they were loaves of bread. I’m sure it was a great sales day for Costco, but, I waited out the in-store storm until the water was gone and the cashier lines dwindled. It was obvious that despite all the advanced warning and advice, people had not prepared. I’m not surprised. I stayed out of the grocery stores.

Eric in Puerto Rico.

- Hurricane Earl

By Pam Taylor <ptponcepr at hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 15:16:13 +0000

Earl has just been upgraded to a Hurricane per the 11AM NHC advisory. It is a beautiful day here in Ponce, Puerto Rico (my approximate location in the hills above Ponce, PR 505, KM 8). Our little weather station showing 55% humidity and tempature at 87.6 F, barometer rising. As of this hour we have no perceptible wind. Looks like Earl didn't quite make the northerly track expected and will sideswipe our little island of St. John. I've had a "godsend" friend batten down the hatches on my home there and we are keeping our fingers crossed. Here in Ponce, on the south side, the predictions aren't too bad, but we are heading to get some caulking and duct tape (wonder invention!) to tighten up some open spaces, even thought we don't expect too much from Earl. I'm also hoping to locate a good rain guage to help with these reports. Will keep you updated here as Earl passes. Keep safe!

Pam

- Puerto Rico Under Hurricane WATCH

By Francisco Echegaray <fechegaray at hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:12:57 +0000

Hi everyone:

Just a brief message to clarify info from our fellow Ray that posted just a few hours ago.

Acording to the 8:00 A.M statement of the weather service Puerto Rico, including Vieques and Culebra,

is still under a Hurricane Watch - not a Warning.

He must have gotten confused.

Of course, we might go under a warning situation later today but not yet. And of course

we here in P.R. are counting on Earl to start turning today more towards the north.

My thought are with all people of Anguilla, St. Martin, and other Leward islands under Hurr. Warning.

Please take all preacautions.

Currently the sky in San Juan is partially cloudy. There is some haze. And absolutely no wind.

(Calm before the storm? ....)

Stay safe everyone.

Francisco

- EARL approaches

By Ray in El Yunque <weather at puertoricodaytrips.com>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 06:49:55 -0400

After 3 HOT! rainless days, we woke up this morning to the news that a
hurricane warning has been issued for Puerto Rico, Culebra and Vieques
(as well as the USVI and BVI and ... ). The current weather looks a
little overcast and hazy ... but the sun's not totally up yet. We did
our "hurricane prep" shopping last week, so just a quick run out to
the store and gas station this morning to top off what we need. Then
to make the decision do we start prepping our property today or wait
and see what tomorrow brings from EARL?

// Ray

---
Sent from Rio Grande, PR at the edge of El Yunque National Forest
http://www.PuertoRicoDayTrips.com - Your source for things to do in Puerto Rico
http://www.CoquisHideaway.com - Stay with us in the rain forest

- rain in Rio Grande today

By Ray in El Yunque <weather at puertoricodaytrips.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:48:50 -0400

Crazy storm rolled into the Rio Grande area from the west around noon today.
We only got about 0.1" of rain, though we had big black clouds and
lots of wind and thunder.
Elsewhere on the mountain, they got up to 2.5" of rain.

// Ray

---
Sent from Rio Grande, PR at the edge of El Yunque National Forest
http://www.PuertoRicoDayTrips.com - Your source for things to do in Puerto Rico
http://www.CoquisHideaway.com - Stay with us in the rain forest

- Finally, a break in the rain!

By Ray in El Yunque <weather at puertoricodaytrips.com>
Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 07:28:52 -0400

Only 0.6" of rain in the last 24 hours. That brings our total rainfall
for July to 25.6".
We have cloud cover this morning, but I can see some patches of blue sky.
Things are looking better!
// Ray
---
Sent from Rio Grande, PR at the edge of El Yunque National Forest
www.PuertoRicoDayTrips.com - Your source for things to do in Puerto Rico
www.CoquisHideaway.com - Stay with us in the rain forest

- Pouring down rain

By "CC from RinconSportsMassage.com" <rinconsportsmassage at gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:41:49 +0000

West PR is getting lots & lots of rain.  We have been without rain for seveal 
days in Puntas so it is welcome.
No wind.  Cool temperature.  Think cloud cover.  
Sent from Rincon, Puerto Rico BlackBerry http://www.RinconSportsMassage.com & 
http://www.413geek.com

- Very rainy Day in San Juan

By Francisco Echegaray <fechegaray at hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:23:31 +0000

We had bad weather in San Juan area, all day(monday). The rain started by mid morning and though it was not intense, it was almost constant during the day until dusk. I am concerned for the center of circulation I am seeing coming by the northeast corner of Puerto Rico, close to the coast. I hope we don't have more weather related incidents affecting us so the celebration of the Central American and Caribbean Games can keep going on as planned.

Francisco Echegaray

- No rain

By "CC from RinconSportsMassage.com" <rinconsportsmassage at gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:31:21 +0000

The map would make you think we were getting lots of rain

But not a drop in Puntas Rincon for several days!

I hope it comes tonight
Sent from Rincon, Puerto Rico BlackBerry http://www.RinconSportsMassage.com & 
http://www.413geek.com

- Clouds in Rincon

By "Cynthia, RinconSportsMassage" <rinconsportsmassage at gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:23:37 -0400

Satellite seems to show exactly what I am seeing (and this pix shows) - cloud cover in Western PR. But temperatures are nice & wind is lovely!! Can't complain :)

Be kind, CC

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- First posting

By "CC from RinconSportsMassage.com" <rinconsportsmassage at gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:33:28 +0000

Hello From Western Puerto Rico, Rincon -
Ugly day here today as attached image shows.
Seems to be a mix of Saharan Dust and storms clouds.  Rain happening around us 
- just not in our little nitch of Rincon called barrio Puntas
Stay Happy, CC
Sent from Rincon, Puerto Rico BlackBerry http://www.RinconSportsMassage.com & 
http://www.413geek.com

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