- Updates from the Islands -

- - Barbados - -

- - - 2001 Hurricane Season - - -

- Barbados safe

From: "Terry and Andrea" <terand2000 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2001 17:03:15 -0400

Since the driving intermittent showers this morning, the rest of the days has been relatively fair. Yes, it was overcast and periodic light rains but nothing significant. Boats were taken to safe harbour in anticipation of rough seas but apart from that life continyes as normal.

Jerry has drifted to the south of the island and if forecast are accurate, Jamaica is in for it again.

The skies are cloudy, the place is cool. Time to curl up in bed with a book .... until TS Karen ... bye.

- Rain/thunder starts

From: "Terry and Andrea" <terand2000 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2001 08:21:08 -0400

I am located in the eastern section of Barbados and as I write the wind has picked up just a tad, that same fresh, risk breeze, there are rumbles of thunder, the sky has become dark and overcast and moderate rain is falling. Nothing to really shout about. It's the kind of scenario that makes you want to curl up in bed with a book or watch a movie - which is exactly what I will do after a drive around.

- Tropical Storm Warning for Barbados

From: "Terry and Andrea" <terand2000 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2001 07:51:12 -0400

At 8:00 this morning the Barbados Meteorological Serice will issue a Tropical Storm Warning as Jerry approaches.

He is presently located 205 miles east south east of Barbados travelling west north west.

Early this afternoon, conditions should become cloudy, winds should increase to tropical force strength, and there should be thundershowers.

A hurricane hunter is due to investigate the system at 2 pm. It has been meandering as is the case with developing systems. and hurricane specialists cannot get a grasp of where the centre is located.

In Barbados there is a brisk and fresh and enjoyable breeze.

- TS Jerry

From: "Terry and Andrea" <terand2000 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2001 05:09:09 -0400

Original projects on Saturday evening was that TS Jerry would pass very close to the south coast of Barbados or make landfall on the island in the early hours of Monday morning. Tropical storm force winds extend outward to 70 miles and the new forecast at 5 am puts the centre of Jerry at is closest point to Barbados around 58 miles.

The Met Office suggested that Barbados should start feeling the effects around midnight Sunday (Monday morning) however, looking at the satellite pictures this morning and well as the speed and direction it would appear as though that will actually happen at 12 noon today.

However if a 12 noon or 12 midnight impact was the case Barbados would be on a TS warning by now which has not happened. A watch remains in effect which leads me to believe that nothing significant will happen.

Overnight and continuing this morning there is a nice brisk and fresh ENE to NE breeze, so this system is nowhere near us or very far south. We wait to hear from the experts.

- Update from Barbados

From: "Davies, Malcolm" <Malcolm.Davies AT cwbar.cwplc.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2001 10:12:31 -0400

Hi,

10:10am. Just checking my NHC email and latest satellite images.
A reasonable looking wave (with some potential) is currently affecting us
here. Outside are dark skies, rain and lot of thunder rumbling around. 

Regards,
Malcolm Davies

- Beautiful Barbados

From: Dive Marine Contractors <divemarine AT caribsurf.com>
Date: Fri, 07 Sep 2001 17:31:41 -0400

This is September and yet the weather is almost like January.... hot
with the temp at 87 degrees plus heat index around 96 degrees and a soft
ENE wind blowing for the last few days.  The sky is azure blue with no
clouds, and the nights are lovely and clear with soft breezes. - I can
handle this and I guess the tourists are very happy too.. Looking at the
east of us with all those waves coming - I can see the end of this very
soon.
Too bad...
Jennifer

- Flood warnings!

From: Dive Marine Contractors <divemarine AT caribsurf.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2001 19:36:14 -0400

Well, Chantal came with the warnings and early dismissal of the public
and private sector - we were all getting ready for the big storm - and
nothing happened... thank goodness... but today the weather was supposed
to be partly cloudy with a few showers but by mid morning we all  knew
this was far more serious - at around 3 pm they were issuing flood
watches for low lying areas, and everyone to take the necessary cautions
with the wind gusts and the heavy rain.  We have had more rain thunder
and lightening than Chantal even thought about giving Barbados as she
passed over -  and tonight we are being warned to be on the alert for
heavy rains and the flood watch is on until 6am at least tomorrow .  Oh
well I guess we are in for another noisy and windy night...
regards Jennifer

- Hi from Barbados

From: Dive Marine Contractors <divemarine AT caribsurf.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2001 09:14:11 -0400

Last night everything seemed to clear real fast - back to normal.
Around 3 this morning got up and opened up the windows because there
was  beautiful SE winds gusting sending the drapes straight out.  It was
cool and refreshing for a change to sleep without the fan blasting.
This morning it just after 9 now, the sun is very hot and the clouds are
intermittent with blue and grey patches.  Thanks for everyone that sent
me a personal e-mail with their good wishes.  I guess they worked ...
Until the next time - Thanks Jennifer

- barely a breeze

From: "D&M Marketing" <dmmarketing AT sunbeach.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 18:41:56 -0400

Not a thing going on here in Barbados, barely a breeze blowing... A few dark clouds in an overcast sky and a light sprinkle every now and then... but that's it. Chantal has no punch...

- Jennifer - my sympathy!

From: "Terry and Andrea" <terand2000 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 18:11:24 -0400

According to the new forecast track (5 pm) the tropical wave cum tropical storm has shifted course and is now travel south of Barbados.

Now theoretically, if it was or is in fact a tropical storm then you are going to be exposed to the strongest winds and heaviest rains on the south coast.

I am enjoying the rain, the ocassion rumble of thunder and the infrequent flash of lightning and am watching some movies and eating pop corn.

This was a good "dry run" for Barbados.

- Chantal Saga

From: "Terry Ally" <terryally AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 18:08:06 -0400

At the time of writing (5:49 pm AST) Chantal is not a tropical storm. In fact, she is not even a tropical depression according to hurricane hunter aircraft. The disturbance now over Barbados is in fact a very strong tropical wave.

This is one for the experts.

However, I tracked this wave across the Atlantic and there was a mid- and low-level circulation, all the environmental conditions were there and logic dictated that a tropical depression had formed based on all the information available from satellites and drifting buoys. However, all the computer models consistently showed no tropical storm formation. Even when the National Hurricane Centre upgraded the system to a tropical depression, the UKMET model showed "no tropical storm formation".

The GFDL model was run with an assumption that a depression had formed but at every run it kept dissipating it after 6 hours, or after 12 hours.

Hurricane specialists said that all the conditions were ripe so something should be forming. They said that climatology ruled out any formation but the "Experimental Tropical Cyclone Genesis Parameters for the Tropical North Atlantic" showed that conditions favoured development and so they upgraded the wave to a tropical depression and later to a tropical storm.

The spin was definitely there, the QuickScat satellite which shows sea level winds showed a nice circulation but guess no one believed GFDL that it would dissipate. When UKMET was initialised on the presumption that the wave was a tropical depression, it showed that the disturbance would remain under tropical storm strength by the time it reached the island chain and then it would weaken.

Chantal was a learning experience and a good "dry run" for Barbadians who have no experienced a cyclone in 46 years.

You live and learn.

- Sooty Black Up There!

From: Dive Marine Contractors <divemarine AT caribsurf.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 17:21:58 -0400

5.20 and all around it is very inky black - rain now starting to fall at
a steady pace with trees starting their rapid movement.  Thunder and
lightening just beginning - unlike Terry who gets everything first as he
lives on the east coast I live on the south  part of the island.  Dogs
are not moving from my feet as I type....
Jennifer

- Bizarre - there is no storm

From: "Terry and Andrea" <terand2000 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 17:00:55 -0400

According to hurricane hunter aircraft, they found no storm.

Chantal is just a strong tropical wave with tropical storm force winds.

Never came across a situation like this before!

- Cloudy at this time

From: "Terry and Andrea" <terand2000 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 16:54:37 -0400

The skies are overcast with dark clouds rolling in. Actually the satellite picture paints a much worse picture than it is right now.

You can see a Barbados-centred real-time satellite picture at http://www.cira.colostate.edu/ramm/rmsdsol/barb.html.

I am located in the east of the island where the clouds are rolling in. Right now just dark clouds but no rain as yet.

As soon as it starts, I'll keep you posted.

Terry

P.S. Just paused the email to take a call from the office -- was away for three minutes. Thunder is starting now. I am gonna enjoy tonight.

- Nothing yet in Barbados

From: Dive Marine Contractors <divemarine AT caribsurf.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 15:46:53 -0400

3.45 pm and would you believe the sun is trying to poke it's way out the
cloud masses up there.  Apart from a few showers and a few gusts of wind
nothing happening.

- Spectre of direct hit rises

From: "Terry and Andrea" <terand2000 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 14:36:59 -0400

The 2 pm advisory on Chantal shows that she has slowed forward speed (implications for strengthening) and she has dipped 60 nautical miles south which increases the possibility of a direct hit on Barbados.

- Not treated seriously

From: "Terry and Andrea" <terand2000 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 12:59:55 -0400

I do not believe that the authorities treated the system with the seriousness which it deserved. Instead of emergency managers meeting at 10 am to 12 noon today, they should have met far earlier.

- Update -

From: Dive Marine Contractors <divemarine AT caribsurf.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 12:43:18 -0400

Just as the previous message has said an island shut down will be at 2pm
with public transport running only until 6pm tonight.  I have been
through some near storms while I have lived here for the last 5 years
coming from Canada but today has to be the most intense regarding
warnings and shut downs by the entire island that I can remember.  All
emergency personnel from Ciro are to be in their places by early
afternoon.  Announcements will now be given at 30 minute intervals.

- Government orders shutdown

From: "Terry and Andrea" <terand2000 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 12:33:35 -0400

The Government of Barbados has ordered all businesses and institutions in the public and private sector to shutdown at 2 pm in preparation for the approach of TS Chantal.

- Hi from Jennifer in Barbados

From: Dive Marine Contractors <divemarine AT caribsurf.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 12:28:36 -0400

Well just got back from the supermarket - parking lot very full and
inside all check outs at full capacity - but lines moving well - I
imagine as the afternoon progresses it will be madness.  Very very
cloudy but the sun is still up there behind the clouds as you need
sunglasses for driving.  Quite gusty at times but other than nothing as
yet.  I think I am as ready as I can be - announcements on the radio for
certain early closings and all children summer camps - parents to pick
them up by 1pm. I have dogs and they seem be under my feet whereever I
am going around the house - so I guess they know something is coming....

Will stay in touch..

- Responding to Jennifer

From: "Terry Ally" <terryally AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 12:27:39 -0400

Jennifer -

I just read your post that you were being kept well informed by radio all morning. I've been listening to both radio stations since 6 am and those that brought information were using outdated information which they received the previous day. The coordinate, strength, and position were all wrong. When the system was upgraded to a tropical storm the radio stations were still talking about a tropical depression and when tropical storm warnings were issued they were still talking about watches. You may not have realised this because you may have thought that the information coming via the radio was correct!

- Terry

- Barbados coming alive

From: "Terry Ally" <terryally AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 12:22:43 -0400

Last night the weather news on TV played down the probability of the tropical depression affecting Barbados. Since then it was upgraded to a tropical storm but both radio stations have been misreporting it all morning.

My impression is that people have not been taking the matter seriously because the media attached no importance to it.

Things are now coming alive because the emergency managers have been meeting and are scheduled to hold a press conference shortly. Just two institutions, that we know of, have allowed workers to go home early.

The conditions now are cloud with a brisk, cool breeze from the east. Looking forward to the experience!

- Hi from Jennifer in Barbados

From: Dive Marine Contractors <divemarine AT caribsurf.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 09:18:28 -0400

We are being kept well informed via the radio here in Barbados about
Chantal's position and are told to start making necessary preparations.
Right now at 9.30 the sky is partly cloudy with sunny breaks and very
warm.  It is quite breezy but nothing serious. Will stay in touch.