Antigua - The Caribbean Hurricane Page - Local Reports on Tropical Systems threatening the Caribbean Islands

Things are being sorted out pretty quickly here...Last night in a special radio program The government advised that a final check on all the power lines and water lines (for the places who have piped water as many of us use our own catchments ) was being completed by last night, hopefully... so that electricity could be turned back on (except for places that have poles down ...or in my case, the main transformer on the pole has been blown off so that has to be replaced before we can have power...) Have had many incoming emails asking about hotels especially for people who are arriving in the next few days.. Have been able to respond to a few of these..... sorry but don't have a clear picture yet but can say that most hotels have their own generators so can go on ok...

I am going to try to find out if the hotel association has an special info on the internet for hotel status and if so will advise...

Am worried about John Fuller and his clan...as he must be without power/ phones or would surely be on line??? will try to find out more...

GERTS STORM 99 is a God send for so many people...For anyone who has benefited from this please let Gert know...He works hard to keep it all going!!!! I had an email from an Antiguan in New York asking about her 90 yr. old grandmother and 100 yr. old uncle who live in Wilikies... was given their phone number but when I called it what must be a CROSSED phone line connected with the Wilikies POLICE STATION.. Corp. Bellot there was kind enough to send someone go check on Marion Cornelius and Desmond Joseph and I was able THROUGH STORM 99 - to confirm they were ok and only had minor house damage... Am sure it was a big relief!

This morning is a bit better than yesterday in Antigua...but it is still gusty winds/ rainy and a bit gray as the satellite pic shows there is still cloud mass over us... REASSURANCE IS THAT OUR BEAUTIFUL BLUE SKIES WILL COME BACK! and we will get the mess cleaned up... main concern is some cloud mass out there now so watching it before all shutters removed, etc!!! surely we CAN"T BE HIT AGAIN!!!

BACK TO CLEAN UP WORK...

VC BIRD - our only airport has reopened....

Lots of telephone lines are still down and may just ring and ring..so keep trying if you dont get through first time...

Questions I have received... and dont know ...anybody can help pls. email me direct at gilkem AT candw.ag

How is Cat Club and Avrerials restaurant

Is Sandles ok... couple arriving on Monday to be married there!!!

BACK TO CLEAN UP...

Its a miracle ....... MAXICINE - my 12 year old wild free flying mollucan cockatoo I have talked about throughout this hurricane ordeal....who weathered HURRICANE JOSE outside.... has just flown home!!! She is battered and beaten up AND VERY HUNGRY...but appears to be unharmed. I am so thankful and this just shows LIFE GOES ON in spite... After last Septembers hurricane my miracles were 3 baby love birds that survived in a nest accidentally left in the outdoor aviary through HURRICANE GEORGE (see www.antiguatoday.com/news/updates/community/martha.html

and their little lives gave me the inspiration and strength to go on with getting on with life.......this time it is the return of Maxie!! Thanks to all of you who have expressed concern over our well being....and over Maxie's fate! Back to the big clean up!!

EARLY MORNING WAKE UP with so much clean up to do...My phone lines on and off so I cannot always get logged on...and of course, still no electricity... it has poured with rain all night long and is still raining... and still a bit gusty but most of the wind has gone.... In fact it seems Antigua took out most of JOSEs PUNCH...it has weakened to a tropical storm...thank goodness for the people now in the path...

For me... more important than the clean up is hopefully the return of my wild cockatoo at first light...if she survived this terrible thing...

Will try to find out more information on rest of island to pass on report to you all...

HURRICANE JOSE.. is nearly gone now.... but we still have terrible gusts... and I have been awake for nearly 36 hrs... so gonna try to sleep before I face the clean up at break of day... have heard Hodges Bay badly hit so hope john and nick & Gloria ok... Especially cause no word from John.... my phones on and off (takes 20-30 log ons to get on line!!! cause phone line blowin inthe breeze.... anyway.. seems JOSE had more punch than planned...and it was so sudden for us... so lets get it together as quickly as possible!!! later

REGARDING SUZANNE...

have passed MSG back to Italy that she is fine... Good to know this fine service Gert and Storm 99 does has sent some peace of mind to some nice folks far away....specially an 80 yr. old worried mother... I tried to forward the email direct to you but they say your email wrong.. pls. email me direct... gilkesm AT candw.ag

4 hours of life and a bit of h..... just went by... ( this could give a young girl gray hair!!! ) although I was logged on at 10 a.m. could not connect to cable and wireless so finally logged off... then never could get dial tone again.... ....another incoming overseas call seems to have unlocked the phone and I quickly logged on and sent the 10 a.m report 4 hrs late... Seems evbody but Peter and Curt in same boat...

and here is an up to date...

the eye passed us about 11:30.... and it was really weird.... total calm for over 30 minutes...and in THE MIST OF IT an AIRPLANE BUZZED over.... HAS TO BE THE HURRICANE HUNTERS....nobody else would be in THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE!!! will have to reconfirm they flew our lat and longitude!!! but has to be them!!!

Discovered the electrical transformer for Half Moon Bay estate is BLOWN OFF THE POLE...that's why

out of power since last night..

Second half of storm (NOW GOING ON...) MUCH WORSE THAN FIRST... wind whipping from South and SOUTH WEST... MET OFFICE says they recorded 100 mph at airport... so far my house in tact but looks like roof on my guest house trashed... shingles ev.where... am sure it is flooded!

Thanks Peter for info on Suzanne and Fabrizio...am emailing Mario on this and will also forward his email to you in case Suzanne wants to respond more personally via you... Great to be of help along the way with this whole drama...

Only report of damage is from friends in Jolly Harbor condo.... their front door blew off... tried to block it WITH A TRUCK... also windscreens on cars have been blown out there.. too early to tell anything... but whatever it is, Antigua is an old hand at pulling itself up by the bootstraps and now matter how bad THIS STORM WILL NOT COMPARE TO LUIS...so am sure we will all get our act together quickly...

STILL LOGGED ON!!! and another hour goes by...Boy I usually hate to see the hours/ days/ years fly by in my life... but now I am glad for every second that goes...

but am having trouble connecting to Cable and wireless and actually sending emails.. even though I am on line..... so don't know if I can get this one through... may be my Que. to "turn tail and run"... and get moved downstairs!!! sure would scare the ____ out of me if my good ole galvanize roof peels back!!!

and it sure is blowing and raining cats and dogs...

Went outside again a little while ago... strange... we thought we would be getting the wind from the south and south west by now... but is all coming out of the northeast... and north.... blowing some of my favorite trees nearly to the ground... so I think this thing has stayed east of us .... last report I got at 8 a.m. showed it going through between Guadeloupe and Antigua... but I think it may have tracked north... wont know till the 11 a.m... unless on of my Hurricane hunter pals gets an email through to me with more... If it is on the North that is better for us.... all guess work for me now... so... hope I am still around for 11 a.m. update and can tell you more....

Survived the first half, though totally flooded from loss of shingles. Glad we had protected furniture. We are in the eye now, waiting for the next blast from the west. Finished putting on shutters (^_^) I do believe this thing has strengthned from the forecast. Running on generator as power out about 8 a.m. Not much major damage seen, but a lot of missing shingles, trash cans blown around, fences down, etc. Wind starting to pick up, so must shut down. See you after the storm!

the rain is horizontal now

visibility about 50 - 60 ft

seems to be ene to ne

cant believe that the phone lines are still up in picadilly

the pole out the front of our house is pumping madly

my daughters 4th hurricane shes only 4

shes singing "rain rain go away"

723 1573 have vhf for english harbour area

I know Suzanne and her husband Fabrizio, I called them on the phone and they said all is well, please pass a message on that they are okay, their lines are open but keep going off and on. Peter

Don't know how I am staying on line... 2 of my 3 phone lines OUT... nothing on them... have never logged off since that 8 am overseas call I told you about came in... NONE of my 3 lines were working till then... and somehow that opened the line... and I got logged on...but am afraid to log off as I probably cant get back on line... have been trying to call the MET OFFICE to what they are saying but no dial tone... and I wonder if johns phone off since we have not heard from him... I don't have anything to do but weather this thing out so may as well be with my computer and passing info to you... but still think I should move downstairs... except if I log off here that may be it... sooner or later I will have to ....hurricane shutters rattling and makes me sort of nervous... but then have had my house blown up once and that makes you gun shy...even though I know this is NOT a LUIS or GEORGE... fear for my wild cockatoo out there!!

Just had email msg. from ITALY.. someone looking for their sister (Italian from Naples ) - Susanne... she lives with husband and 2 children in English Harbor...the 80 yr. old mother in ITALY heard of JOSE on news and worried sick... so if you know who this is and can find out anything whenever pls. let me know... so.. from 8 a.m. we have 4 1/2 hours till eye is near us... 12 noon... sure is getting worse now.. all for now..

Just got back from Shirley's, could hardly stand up it felt like we were sky diving, the boat that Martha mentioned is still on the dockyard wall and and I wish them the best. Mega Yacht Illusion is swinging in Falmouth, they should burn up a lot of diesel today, it's probably blowing 50 at Shirley's out of the NE, speak to you when it gets crazier, regards Peter 723-1573

Don't know where Allen is located but we sure are getting the big gusts here on the Atlantic side...of course we are the first to get the winds... can't say what wind is as I don't have a wind speed indicator... that is on my list to get for future... I am still in my upstairs office on desktop but sort of feel I should close down....(getting real noisy even through hurricane shutters... ) and cover my desktop with plastic tarp and move downstairs... my phones are out - to call out... but just had incoming overseas call and as soon as we hung up was able to log on... so don't know if when I log off this time it will break the connection... downstairs phone does not seem to be working....so hope I can be back to you later... not much rain yet... so we are all hanging in there...t ill later...

7:30 a.m. Winds definitely picking up. Gusts to over 40 mph at Radio Lighthouse. Not much rain yet. On a quick trip out a lot of people still battening down. Just about reached that point where people should be off the streets, I think. Getting quite a bit of power fluctuation - probably high voltage lines blowing together...

It is morning now! and I think it REALLY is the leading edge as it is picking up now... was quickly out on my slat roof to remove some Plexiglas plates I forgot...not even screwed down...just laid on top to stop rain!!!!!...and they had not blown off during the night...so that shows it was not so bad.... but they were now flapping a bit... wind gust made it hard to stay for long - sort of scary!!! (I was thinking what on earth is Curt doing -- see previous write up -- putting up HURRICANE SHUTTERS NOW in this wind...but guess I am just as bad dancing around in those wind gusts on a roof (do I want to be Mary poppins!!???) It is just that no matter how much you do to be ready it seems there are always more things to do or things left undone!!!! Anyway, from the top of the slat roof could easily see LITTLE COVE , bay just next to Half Moon Bay Beach... big waves now rolling in --- white foam/ wave action extending out about 1/2 miles... so I think we are now in for the tough stuff.......

Once again...hope I can log on later!!! after Hurricane George buried my phone line from the pole in PVC pipe so guess that helps (unless the pole blows over!! )

OH... 5 a.m report shows that JOSE has moved a bit more NORTH.. It is 75 miles east/ north east of us... wish it would keep tracking NORTH but models show a turn to the west and if so it will come along our south coast... next few hours will be our worst...and 5 am says WIND HAVE INCREASED a bit.... Thank goodness for our Miami hurricane ctr info and for the HURRICANE HUNTERS who get us all that good info... they have moved their planes from St Croix to Curacuo as St Croix may be in the path..... but they will keep getting us that needed info!! Bless them and Gert at STORM 99 for info!

FELL ASLEEP AND JUST WOKE UP THINKING IT HAD GONE AWAY.NO NOISE---BUT WE'RE SO WELL SEALED IN HERE--POKED MY NOSE OUT AND NEARLY HAD IT BLOWN AWAY! IT'S CRANKING UP LIKE A DEMON OUTSIDE! WIND STILL N.E. AT ABOUT 50-70. AND KICKING.LATER.

5:30 a.m. Very uneventful night. Looks from the 5 a.m. report that Jose is on more of a track to cross
Antigua later this morning. Some gusts and shotgun blasts of rain during the night, but nothing to write home about. The winds at Radio Lighthouse (1160 kHz) are 8-13 out of the ENE. However looks like we are just now on the leading edge so should start to see more action soon. I may have to go shutter the other side of the house before long with the new track and intensity. Should be an interesting day.

Still here...can't sleep...never can in these hurricanes... was just able to go outside in an semi protected court yard area..(was really looking for one of my 3 kitties that never came home) wind not as bad as I expected...and rather gusty and not constant... still pitch black out there... official sunrise is 6:01 a.m.... but the met office said we may not see "sunrise" so well due to heavy cloud cover. Projected path of this thing on STORM 99 shows it almost over Antigua!! So I know this is "calm before the storm". We are lucky it comes at night... the coolness will take some of the energy out of the storm so maybe it will not be as bad as it would in the heat of the day. Back later, I hope... guess I will have to log off -- and hope I can get back on -- since we pay for our time on line here in the islands... been logged on few hours now...

Well... it is another day...so my computer clock tells me.. power out down here at Half Moon Bay and phone lines off and on...had to try about 20 times to get dial tone...kept getting error MSG of no dial tone and just kept trying --to my surprise suddenly was on line.. ( guess being "hard headed" and determined (which my mother always told me!!) pays off sometimes!!!!

rain has been on and off and actually slept few hours...but strong gusts woke me up... Just managed to speak to our met office located at the Airport... 14 miles away from me..

they have recorded gusts of 34 knots... eye now 85 miles to east of Guadeloupe... lots of rain that end... and movement is northwest so they think we will get it a bit closer than earlier reports...

Met office has a HOT LINE for the gen public.. 268 463 4638 -- this reads - word for word.... the latest advisory from the Miami hurricane center and is update as soon as new info comes in--- wonderful for those who do not have STORM 99 and update info...

Will hope to be back to you again....that means my phone lines are holding out -- but no mains electricity...that long gone...as of about 8 p.m. last night...

FROM THE 2:45 A.M.EST PHOTO IT SEEMS THAT JOSE HAS MOVED EVEN FURTHER NORTH AND TO ME IT LOOKS LIKE THE WORST WILL PASS EAST AND NORTH OF ANTIGUA-HOPE SO ANYWAY.

its 2:41.off and on squalls to now.wind10-20mph more in squalls. west wall very near.surprisingly little wind.we took this thing a little too lightly.all boarded up and battened down.all hells going to break loose within an hour.still have elec.and phone!!what's your phone no. gert if you want a call in storm.sat.photo looks terrifying.

ELECTRICITY OFF THIS END OF THE ISLAND.. GOOD OLD GENERATOR... WONDER HOW LONG MY PHONES WILL HOLD OUT........ANYWAY..FOR NOW WIND GUSTS OFF AND ON.. getting A LITTLE "SCARY" KNOWING IT IS COMING...Didn't dare look at that satellite photo john fuller talked about!!! I CRIED THROUGH LOTS OF GEORGE LAST YEAR.....HOPE I AM BRAVER THIS TIME!! Anyway, 10 A.M. REPORT PUT IT AT 15.9 AND 60 WEST... MORE NORTH THAN ORIGINAL TRACK.. GOOD NEWS FOR US AS THAT WILL PUT THE WORST QUADRANT (THE NORTHEAST ONE... FURTHER AWAY.. SO MAYBE WE WILL NOT HAVE IT AS BAD AS WE THOUGHT!????

HAD A CALL FROM SOMEONE WHO KNEW THAT THE OCEAN STAR WAS IN ENGLISH HARBOR SO WAS ABLE TO LET THEIR FAMILY KNOW... BUSH VINE REALLY WORKS..

will hope I can keep letting you out there wherever you are know how it is here.... For tonight we are told we will get winds from the east....then early a.m. from the southeast... and that will be the eye... then it will come from the south and we will know the eye is over us!

till the next time..

you gotta see this photo NOW.what do we do now?

one feels that one is in a movie.this can't be happening.so many extraordinary coincidences converging into one night.one year and one month ago i sat here awaiting the beast GEORGES-and now JOSE.the hires5 photo is frightening and with each hour it inches north.looks like it will come right over us again.there was a general last minute panic this p.m.evryone buying plywood,nails batteries,water and gigarettes(some rum too).wind now a touch north of east and strengthening with the occasional squall with 30-40mph winds and heavy rain and then back down to 15-20mph steady.now we engage some hurricane foreplay(tv long off) and sit around and think of that thing creeping at us intent on greivous bodily harm.many have been caught with their pants down.for many it will be their first hurricane--hr>

- where is JOHN FULLER

From: "MARTHA WATKINS GILKES" <gilkesm AT candw.ag>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 19:15:30 -0400

John... hope you are boarded up and ready.... where are you??? you keep us posted on the opposite side of the island!!!

- 7 p.m. UPDATE

From: "MARTHA WATKINS GILKES" <gilkesm AT candw.ag>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 19:12:34 -0400

Wind is gusty now here on top of the highest hill of Half Moon Bay (and I suppose highest on the east coast?...have to ck that one out!)... but still hard to think what is coming... tree frogs chipping away... and sadly for me, I was unable to catch my wild beautiful free flying cockatoo... she knew something was up when she came in at sunset to feed.... so she will face this on her own.. for the first time.. know it seems silly to worry about a BIRD...or the fish and marine life... but I do!!!

Anyway, still doing some more final closing up -- saving a few more potted plants, etc... then gonna do the final close up of the house... will be on and off line probably all night if my phone line holds out... and will call the MET OFFICE to get their input along to pass on to you guys...

If anyone knows the whereabouts of 2 masted schooner OCEAN STAR (Captain John Stoll and mate John Beede) let me know if they are safe after the storm...have been touch with their family who are concerned...

Thanks to those who have sent emails of concerns... prayers for Antigua and safety for us...

More later.........

- 3 pm Tuesday...JOSE

From: "MARTHA WATKINS GILKES" <gilkesm AT candw.ag>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 14:57:50 -0400

2 PM shows Jose bit more NORTH....closer to Antigua...and a bit stronger... several people have called to ask for help it their homes...so trying to do what we can to help each other around here... I just caught 29 of my love birds.... 14 more to go....then the others to move inside... Many businesses and bank have closed at noon so people can get their home secured...

they say we should start feeling it about 3 am (WED...)

I will try to transmit off and on during the storm...(what else can I do locked up with no electricity!! cant ever seem to sleep through these things! they will probably turn elec. off...but have battery operated laptop...as long as phone lines hold out... so those who want to know...keep checking STORM 99 reports ......

- HURRICANE JOSE...

From: "MARTHA WATKINS GILKES" <gilkesm AT candw.ag>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 12:33:54 -0400

IT'S COMING... JUST DID A QUICK RUN TO THE GROCERY FOR FINAL THINGS AND PEOPLE ARE BUYING SUPPLIES.. WE KNOW WHAT HURRICANES ARE ON OUR LITTLE ISLAND... EVEN CAT ONE..... WE WILL STILL BE BLOWN AROUND..

STILL LOOKING LIKE IT IS GOING SLIGHTLY SOUTH OF US... but we will certainly have the effects -- so rushing to do some more preparations and will be back to report more when there is time... at least we are not aboard a SHIP IN THE SEA with no safe shelter!!!

- TS JOSE

From: "Alan B. Scholl" <scholla AT candw.ag>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 11:05:16 +0400 (GMT)

Hi,

Now that the storm has swung a little closer towards us my comments about
"any hurricane less than 100mph..." are quickly being forgotten by my
friends who uttered such. The sky is darkening and there is a bit of
tension/uncertainty amongst my co-workers.

If it passes south of us we could get a beating as the intense part of the
hurricane seems to be conectrated in the NE corner. We could get some
flooding as we have been getting regular rain over the last few days/weeks
so the ground is somewhat saturated.

======================================================================
Alan B. Scholl

- TS JOSE...

From: "Alan B. Scholl" <scholla AT candw.ag>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 07:41:55 +0400 (GMT)

Hi,

Currently it is overcast and slightly above normal wind fomr the NE. There
are patches of blue sky but it started drizzling on my way to work a few
minutes ago. People are asking about the storm but after LUIS and GEORGES
anything less than 100mph does not seem to stir up too much concern.

======================================================================
Alan B. Scholl
Email: scholla AT candw.ag  alan.scholl AT cwanu.cwplc.com
       schollab AT hotmail.com
Tel:   (268)480-4115        Fax:    (268)480-4105
Pgr:   (268)409-4638 (INET) Mobile: (268)464-1350
Ham:   V21BF
Antigua, West Indies - "Where Land & Sea Make Beauty..."

- GETTING READY...

From: "MARTHA WATKINS GILKES" <gilkesm AT candw.ag>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 07:35:43 -0400

Early morning report from our MET OFFICE shows eye of storm..soon to be a hurricane over Guadeloupe... just south of us... slight north turn puts eye OVER US... they will come back at NOON to say START BOARDING UP... but for me... we are getting ready from now as we live OUTDOORS and lots of things have to be moved.... can always put it back if no problem.. but I think we are going to get it this time... and even though it is NOT A LUIS... it will be a hurricane by the time it comes here...probably within 24 hrs... and things will blow around... wont be able to answer any of you personally now... so keep checking this page for quick updates...

- TROPICAL STORM JOSE

From: "MARTHA WATKINS GILKES" <gilkesm AT candw.ag>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 01:55:29 -0400

ANTIGUA IS ON A HURRICANE WATCH AS OF 8 P.M. MONDAY NIGHT... THAT MEANS WE "COULD BE" IN HURRICANE CONDITIONS WITHIN 36 HOURS... AND THAT WE SHOULD ALL PAY ATTENTION... EVONE GETTING RELAXED ABOUT IT ALL THIS LATE IN THE SEASON. WAS ON A BIG CONSTRUCTION SITE NEAR MY HOME TODAY (had print out of STORM 99 info on JOSE... all the guys would hardly believe there was something so close there... it sort of slipped up on us!

Old Captain Woolly could have told us not to get complacent......He was in command of the Royal Mail Steamer THE H.M.S. RHONE . She was sunk in the British Virgins by a late season hurricane on October 19th, (That's TODAY) 1867 (some research says October 29th).

Anyway, our met office is wise to put us on alert...as have lots of other islands. It is now 2 a.m. and they say they will give us a better pic. of what to expect at 6 a.m. For me, I am grateful we are getting the info the Hurricane Hunter airplanes provide us in the heroic service those guys and gals do with PRECISE info...not just satellite info. No body doing much yet as this all came to our attention late Monday afternoon.. but John is right... if I can catch my beautiful free flying wild molucan cockatoo at first light when she comes home to feed, I sure will... then I only have 46 other birds to think about!!!

At least this thing is NOT A LUIS OR even a GEORGE...but looks like we will get some outer winds bands for sure...and hopefully needed rain...

will know more after the sun comes up!.....

- Update

From: "John Fuller" <fullerj AT candw.ag>
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 22:01:10 -0400

winds already gone into the northeast and steadily increasing.it's been flat calm to slight breeze(as is usual here in october and november} for the past weeks until yesterday when ever so slowly the speed has increased to now a steady 12-15 kts as i said from the n.e.we all still believe it will pass south but as time passes it's becoming less and less south!it really does look impressive.i believe that the worst damage will be to the banana crops between guadeloupe and st.lucia.they are very susceptible to wind.there is no panic or scurrying.it seems quite certain that even if it becomes a cat.1 we'll manage easily-not at all like the bahamas a few weeks ago.we surely need the rain.of course all the boat people are already nervous.the amazing thing is how late in the season it is.i bet dr.gray is saying "i told you so"

the bush telegraph is amazing.everyone seems to have known about the storm even before the met. office.the internet is making a big impact on this sort of info- spreading.i guess MARTHA will be packing her birds away for the umpteenth time.more later.

Older reports can be found on another page.

The Caribbean Hurricane Page

Updates from the Islands

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