- Updates from the Islands -

- - St.Thomas (USVI) - -

- - - 2003 Hurricane Season - - -

- what's this? tropical send off

From: "jb jerdon" <huckphotovi AT lycos.com>
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 21:08:50 -0400

hi all
with only 4 days left on St Thomas it seems
like a  tropical weather send off! Out of the frying pan and into the frezzer!I 
am relocating to maryland
on the Pa border. Morning temp 23*... near the WeatherMatrix location. Nothing 
like another Lenny
to give me a proper send off.
Will continue to monitor and correspond 
Good Luck to all and Merry Xmas
Huck

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virgin islands news weather and photos





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- Isabel

From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear AT islands.vi>
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 11:23:36 -0500

Hello Lucky Neighbors...

I'm back from business in Orlando for the last 5 days, and

gut wrenching thoughts about Isabel....being away from my

island home with the thoughts of her power so close

was hard to bear, but our luck is beyond belief. My "fortune

cookie" at the Chinese restaurant in Orlando on Saturday Sept 13

read....."serious trouble will pass you by"....I almost burst into tears.

I'm praying for Isabel to wear herself out and move to colder waters,

and am in hopes that our friends up north take HEED, and err on the

side of caution. Best of luck to all of you seaside dwellers.

Jane Higgins
in sunny St Thomas US Virgin Islands

- Wave action

From: RonUSVI AT aol.com
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 23:30:58 EDT

Looked at the surf rolling in today at Hull Bay. They are getting bigger, swells were not as high as said in weather report. Anticipate tomorrow it will be at it's best. Will try and get some PICS then!

Ronnie Lockhart
The Crystal Palace
http://crystalpalaceusvi.com/
The Villa Fairview
http://villafairview.com/

- BUSINESS GOES ON

From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear AT islands.vi>
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 05:34:04 -0500

Hi Neighbors in the Caribbean,

While hoping that Isabel will go north of us, I'm leaving for

business in the states this a.m.....it is so emotional to think

our lives have to go on when that "wild girl" is out there....

the dilemma of living in paradise.... a few days a year we

are torn between the practical we think we can control and the

natural force we can't. Best of luck to all you, stay safe.

Jane Higgins
Jane Higgins Resortwear
in sunny St Thomas US Virgin Islands

- fabian ham radio relay net

From: "james jordan" <huckphotovi AT hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2003 23:04:00 +0000

hi all
just got ham radio relay net  live on line
most are on batt power  lots of static but
lots of damage go to http://www.hurricanecity.com upper right corner for 
live link
latest 984mb
56 mph
7 pm ast
hotel hilo??
server is maxed out
mirror in yellow box on scroll down page
huck






         WEATHER AND TROPICAL  NEWS
LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER HUCK JORDAN HAS LAUNCHED
A NON COMMERCIAL WEB SITE HOSTING A COLLECTION OF HIS VIRGIN ISLAND IMAGES
CARIBBEAN AND WORLD NEWS WEATHER AND LINKS TO CULINARY TOPICS, TECHNICAL 
INFORMATION
MUSIC AND SPIRITUAL WRITINGS.
       INCULDED ARE ARCHIVAL ROLEX PHOTOS
HURRICANE PHOTOS AND DOWN ISLAND GALLERIES.
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND WEB PAGE DESIGN

       LOCAL WEATHER UPDATES.
http://huckphotovi.tripod.com
http://www.huckphotovi.com
e mail
huckphotovi AT hotmail.com
huckphotovi AT lycos.com
huckphotovi AT theglobe.com

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- another great day

From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear AT islands.vi>
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2003 08:16:32 -0500

It is always a beautiful day in St Thomas when a category

4 storm passes you by, just so thankful and hoping that Bermuda will be spared.

We have our normal puffy clouds,blue sky, sunshine and the seas have calmed

down here on the northwest side of St Thomas.....surprised that we didn't even get any rain out of it.

Jane Higgins
in sunny St Thomas US Virgin Islands

- STRONG WINDS

From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear AT islands.vi>
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 10:19:55 -0500

We are really windy today, my husband working at the

airport says we have direct crosswinds over the runway at

about 22 knts (gusting up to 30 mph) and the pilots are complaining.

...seas are up and we are expecting a stormy afternoon and evening.....

...BUT WE ARE THE LUCKY ONES......

Jane Higgins
in windy, cloudy, St Thomas US Virgin Islands

- Waiting to exhale

From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear AT islands.vi>
Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 18:41:19 -0500

I know by now that FABIAN is way north of us, but he still looks fierce on map; big and strong.

I never really exhale until a storm is far West or far North of us, but am just hoping this big bad

guy doesn't land on ANYONE...a Cat 4 slowing down is too much to think about. This is the one

month in the year when I quit fantasizing about having a yacht! Take care, be safe.

Jane Higgins
in sunny St Thomas US Virgin Islands

- fabian... rock singer sings on north?

From: "jb jerdon" <huckphotovi AT lycos.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 19:46:20 -0400

hi all
glorious day with a few needed showers and power outages not needed
Jane your hibscus we bought is flowering 7 blooms so far  and more buds largest 
was almost 7" across
pray for the northward track
pics of havensight after last good rain
and old st thomas pic from the 40's
huck
more old pics on my site


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virgin islands news weather and photos






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- I'm not worried yet.....

From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear AT islands.vi>
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 08:13:13 -0500

Good Morning Caribbean Neighbors...

Fabian looks kind of mean on the map, but looks pretty far

north already, so I'm not worried yet. When I see my aviation mechanic husband start to move airplanes south I'll let you

know. His verdict this a.m. after studying about 5 weather sites; was "don't worry"........so be happy....another beautiful day and night to WATCH MARS....have you seen it? Fantastic!!!

Jane Higgins

- raining cats and dogs

From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear AT islands.vi>
Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 07:16:24 -0500

Good Morning,

I've been up since about 3a.m. with the first big boom of thunder...we had a pretty

good light show, loads of rain (about 1" in the gauge) and enough thunder to give the

cats and dogs the shakes. We can always use the rain, and hope we hang onto power,

it was out for a while around 7 a.m......the sky was pretty yellow at 6a.m. and now just

puffy clouds and Caribbean blue out there. Situation normal, keeping an eye out for that

"thing" out there, but won't call it anything until someone else does.

Jane Higgins
Jane Higgins Resortwear
in sunny St Thomas US Virgin Islands
340-774-7071 phone/fax
jhigginswear AT islands.vi

- every ting cool mon

From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear AT islands.vi>
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2003 12:06:26 -0500

As we say in St Thomas, "every ting cool, mon"....the gusty

winds woke me up about 3:30 a.m., received enough rain that I don't have to water the veggie garden.

Now at 12 noon it is all grey skies, the seas are at about 8feet, and nothing

more exciting than the usually passing shower.

My superstitious self says; over prepare and the storm will dissipate.

I think the word DISSIPATE is one of the nicest in the English language.

Caribbean summers are still always nicer than the stateside summers I experienced.

Back to the beach.

Jane Higgins

Fortuna

the Northwest Atlantic side of

St Thomas VI

- Be Prepared

From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear AT islands.vi>
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 11:01:20 -0500

Hello all,

Jane Higgins here on the the northwest side of St Thomas

facing the Atlantic. I'm preparing for this storm that

will hopefully blow thru south of us. Just taking loose things off the deck,

and moving some favorite plants inside. We are not

expecting much and I hope we are right. But it always helps

the peace of mind to be prepared. The "hurricane" pantry has been in place

since July 1, so no shopping today. It is overcast now, and I can feel the lack

of "air" we usually get before any thunderstorm.

We can see the Puerto Ricans in motor yachts racing west back to PR from their

weekend in the Virgin Islands from our deck on the Atlantic side;seas are still pretty calm,

3-5 feet, (normal).

I'll be checking this site to see what our neighbors are saying further down island.

MY WEATHER RADAR MAP at another site shows that the Puerto Rico DOPPLER

is down....any info on that?

See you at the beach by Wednesday I'm sure.

Jane Higgins

Fortuna

St Thomas Virgin Islands

- all clear in st. thomas

From: <dgeorged AT vitelcom.net>
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2003 12:26:59 -0400

After a series of waves, we can expect for the next six days , fair weather. As far as any depression or storm, much less a hurricane, we certainly will not see any before the first week in August in so far as affecting the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Beginning in July 28, we should see the tell tale signs of threatening waves that will have a high chance in the first eight days of august to pose a threat to us.

We should not expect any major threat to our islands until first week in August.

D.G.

- Update

From: "C Berry" <ctb AT islands.vi>
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2003 10:36:42 -0500

The season does seem to be on it's way and does seem like it is going to be an active one. Just in the last week and a half, we are experiencing our 3rd tropical wave here in the US Virgin Islands. These more recent waves are carrying more rains with them, that the first ones that have gone by.

For those people that have been through the experiences of both Hurricane Hugo and Marilyn, there is a calm sense of dread in viewing this particular season. Some feel we are over due and may possibly not be so lucky this year.

Dread comes from the past experiences of seeing the full force of a hurricane upfront in our yards. We on the islands do not have the benefit of evacuation like the people of the U.S. mainland. We have to face the hurricanes when they do come head on. To see the full force of mother nature in a hurricane so close is an experience one who has been through it, will never forget.

The aftermath is as equally daunting in thoughts. It takes a long time to recover on islands. Many are not aware everything to recover has to be shipped in, especially on the smaller islands. Ships can't come in when hurricanes and storms are still out over the ocean. After both Hurricane Hugo and Marilyn, it took in many areas, almost four months for power to return, half a year for phones to return, and almost two years before cable tv returned.

Hurricanes change our lives drastically. The thought of possibly going through another and it's aftermath would leave anyone with a sense of dread as a busy season approaches. It is difficult on adults and especially so with children. It's hard to explain to children, the whys and hows of the hurricanes. It's hard to explain why their whole world has turned upsidedown and will continue to be upsidedown for months.

Our prayers go out to all in hurricane zones everywhere. We need yours as well. May all be safe and take every warning that comes very seriously.

- blue sky

From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear AT islands.vi>
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 07:45:13 -0500

July 15 7:45 a.m.

We have blue sky again, puffy clouds racing by, and the ash

is gone on the northwest side of St Thomas Virgin islands

today. We are so spoiled, missing our blue skies for a day!

The weather map looks clear for at least 5 days now so

we'll all head for the beach.

Jane Higgins

Fortuna, St Thomas

US Virgin Islands

- another report

From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear AT islands.vi>
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2003 10:24:12 -0500

Sunday, July 13 was full of surprises for St Thomas in

the US Virgin Islands. We had a tropical wave move thru

in the early a.m., woke up to ash from the Monserrat Volcano

and experienced a 4.0 earthquake centered near

Anegada (northeast of St Thomas) at 10 a.m.

Monday, July 14 as of 9:45 a.m. scheduled flights to and from the St

Thomas airport are waiting to get back on track after

an evaluation of ash particles. Word is that the Monserrat

Volcano blew again this a.m. and the Puerto Rican Control Tower

will release ash information shortly. It is up to individual pilots

and airlines to make decisions about flying in the ash.

We appear to have more ash today then yesterday as I just

washed off the deck and it has accumulated over night.

It is interesting to report earthquakes and volcanic activity on

a hurricane site, that is for sure. My husband was 50 ft

below the surface scuba diving northeast of St Thomas yesterday

at 10 a.m. and experienced the tremors for about

15 seconds, he said it was much more intense underwater

than on land. I wonder what the fish think?

Jane Higgins Fortuna (northwest coast) St Thomas

- from the north side of St Thomas

From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear AT islands.vi>
Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2003 12:28:46 -0500

Hi Gert,

Jane Higgins here again, from Fortuna on the northwest

side of St Thomas, Virgin Islands. We have a very light

layer of brownish ash from Monserrat this morning.

Very cloudy overhanging haze, and had 1 1/2" of rain overnight....

Jane Higgins

St Thomas