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Strange weekend - an erractic storm to say the
least. The media began alerting Bermuda to the threat from Erin on
Friday. On Saturday, the forecast was that Erin would arrive Monday at 3
A.M., as a cat 1, and Bermuda would experience tropical storm force winds - no a
big deal here really, as we get storm force winds (approaching the speed
of t.s. winds) occasionally in winter. Still, the feeling was
watchful and cautious. Updates moved the closest point to Sunday at 3 P.M.
- quite a difference. Cat 1, possibly cat 2. 60 miles away, so at
the east end we would expect hurricane strength winds. But then the
forecast moved the storm to cpa at 6 or 8 P.M. I went for a walk with my
kids yesterday and the silk spiders were weaving their webs low - a sure sign
that there is bad weather ahead.
People here must be paying attention,
because I went out to pick up some batteries for my radio this morning, and I
could find no "D" cells at this end of the island (east)!. Shame on me for
not getting them earlier. While I was out, my hubby filled every container
we have full of water, including the bath. Bummer - all I wanted to do was
shower, but he'd filled up the bath. We closed up all of the shutters, but
by 4 P.M. opened them again because it was pretty quiet out. The
authorities were taking the threat seriously too, of course, and every
credit to them. Part of the Regiment (Bermuda's military farce [oops,
typo?]) was embodied, with all other soldiers on alert. The Emergency
Measures folks met on Friday and Sunday morning. At this stage, we
expected a brush with a cat 2/3 storm, but with Erin changing so rapidly, who
knew what might happen? A cat 3 could cause severe damage to
our infrastructure.
But it looks like we have been lucky. We are
just past the closest point now, I think (8 P.M. at last estimate) and there
have been a few squally showers, but nothing much in the way of wind and
thunderstorms. I expect tonight will be wet and windy, but no real
damage. Ah well, I guess I'll have to make work tomorrow.
If
you haven't yet, have a look at a satellite image of the storm http://stormcarib.com/goes.htm (updated
image, so no good after the storm has died!). It's a beauty - very clean
eye, 40 miles wide. Fantastic circulation - catagory 3 right now.
Every time we get a brush like this, it amazes me to think that just over
the horizon is a monsterous storm, churning up the water and whipping up the
wind. Anyway, everyone is fine, there was no disaster, and I'll finish
this mammoth posting. Fingers crossed it doesn't turn around and come back
(this has happened a couple of times in recent
history).
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