The Caribbean Hurricane Page

Updates from the Islands

- - Guadeloupe - -

• From: "Bruno Benjamin" <b.benjamin AT ouragans.com>
• Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 22:27:28 -0400

• From: "Bruno Benjamin" <b.benjamin AT ouragans.com>
• Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 10:16:40 -0400

• From: "Bruno Benjamin" <b.benjamin AT ouragans.com>
• Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 10:03:22 -0400

• From: Sébastien Enselme <senselme AT wanadoo.fr>
• Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 14:31:16 -0400

Hi,

Since last night, heavy rainbands of lenny have affected Guadeloupe, 
producing torrential rain. Many roads became quickly unuseable this 
morning, and damage was reported around the rivers of Basse-Terre. We had 
huge traffic jams this morning, but now many people have managed to go 
home, and rain should not last much longer.

Sebastien Enselme
Sainte-Rose, Guadeloupe

• From: "Bruno Benjamin" <webmaster AT ouragans.com>
• Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 05:14:53 -0400

• From: Sébastien Enselme <senselme AT wanadoo.fr>
• Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 18:34:35 -0400

Hi,

News from Guadeloupe : Today the wind was very calm, and we had only a few 
moderate showers. The main effects we feel from Lenny are the huge 
battering waves experienced on the west coast of Basse-Terre. I'm just back 
from the little city of Deshaies (located north of this coast). Many boats 
are drowned, some have benn pushed on the seashore houses, and the main 
street is full of rocks, sand and various debris. Pretty extensive damage 
out there, and it seems to be the same on every city on this coast.
Otherwise, we don't expect much bad weather and our good wishes go the 
everyone on the northern islands.

Sebastien Enselme
Sainte-Rose, Guadeloupe

• From: Emma Priam <emma AT ais.gp>
• Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1999 13:39:48 +0200

Here in Guadeloupe we are feeling the aftermath of Jose with torrential
rain. It has litrally rained all day long. The sky is just one grey mass
so i don't think we're going to see any change in the current situation.
This is the only real inconvenience  that we can honestly say Jose has
brought us as we were really spared the worst when Jose headed up North.
Unfortunately, St Martin & St Barths didn't get off so lightly....

• From: Sébastien Enselme <senselme AT wanadoo.fr>
• Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 07:28:20 -0400

Hi,

The night was calm, here in Guadeloupe. I slept with my window open and we 
had no rain except a few moderate showers. Right now, the sky is very 
cloudy, with 20 mph NW wind, but no rain, and no higher gusts. Althought 
NHC has increased intensity to 80 KT, on satellite imagery the core looks a 
little disporganized and main part of the system seem to be past 
Guadeloupe. So  i don't expect conditions to worsen much.

Good news for our island. Hope it'll be the same for our northern neighbours !

Sebastien Enselme
Sainte-Rose, Guadeloupe

• From: Stephen Mann <SVMANN AT compuserve.com>
• Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 21:33:56 -0400

My heart is in Guadeloupe but my body is in Pennsylvania,  USA.

I called my friends tonight to see how things were going.  I guess all the
preparations are not finished because I heard a lot of hammering in the
background.

People on Guadeloupe have been expecting a storm this year because the
fruit trees produced more fruit than normal.  When that happens it is said
that there will be a cyclone.  Last time this happened Hugo hit the same
year.

Things are calm, no wind, some rain every once in a while.  I asked about
the waves.  Last year in George the waves were HUGE and we felt everyone
that hit the coast.  So far the waves are not very big yet.  The French
news says that the storm will hit about 
10 pm.  The eye was supposed to go directly over our old house in
Capesterre but now they are saying that it will pass further north on the
Grand Terre side of the island.   

As last year, let me remind you that winds above 30 mph will take down the
Bananas and with it peoples income for the next 6 months. 

Please pray for the peoples of the Caribbean tonight and tomorrow.  They
need our help.

Stephen Mann

• From: Sébastien Enselme <senselme AT wanadoo.fr>
• Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 19:13:15 -0400

Hi everyone,

This late season hurricane has surprised many people here in guadeloupe.
A hurricane warning has been issued around noon, and all the schools closed
at this time.
This afternoon was, for many people, devoted to consolidating houses and all
the usual preparations. The Pointe-a-Pitre airport should be closing very
soon, as the authorities will declare the "hurricane alert". At this point
everyone should stay at home.
However, Jose is not very impressive yet and everyone seems to be handling
him with calm. No rushes in the stores, nor giant traffic jams were seen
this afternoon.
For now, the sky is overcast, but there's no wind and we had only a few
rainy moments. I'll try to post another update, around 11pm EDT, to tell
you how things are going.
NHC track predictions bring Jose right on our island, but my feeling is
that the most active part of him will pass north... we'll see.

Sebastien Enselme
Sainte-Rose, Guadeloupe

• From: "latguer" <latguer AT outremer.com>
• Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 21:14:19 -0400

• From: "Bruno Benjamin" <webmaster AT ouragans.com>
• Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 22:35:32 -0400

• From: Sebastien Enselme <senselme AT wanadoo.fr>
• Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1999 20:22:55 -0400

Here the authorities have changed the alert procedure. Instead of alert #1, #2
and End of alert, we now have :
- Hurricane Watch when the system is 48 hours away from our territory,
- Hurricane Warning when 24 to 36 hours away,
- Alert when 6 to 8 hours away, at this point everyone should syat at home as
soon as possible, and latest 3 to 4 hours after this alert is issued,
- End of alert.

I think this new system will keep everyone better informed. In the past the
authorities used to give no information before alert #1 which was issued only
24 to 36 hours before the storm.


Sebastien Enselme
Guadeloupe