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- - - 2010 Hurricane Season - - -
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- Dry for now
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:46:44 -0400
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Well, for now we are having no showers on our part of the island, however that doesn't necessarily hold tru for elsewhere in St. Lucia. Looking north towards the interior we can see some ugly clouds still hanging around. Let's hope the rain takes a break for a while. We have had no reports as yet of damage from flooding or rivers overflowing, but that doesn't mean much! News services are notoriously the last to know on the island it seem! Will report back after the evening news - or when we get our local, friends and family update.
Stay dry and be careful out there!
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- Rain, Rain, Rain
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:55:34 -0400
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Well, well, well, it seems the "dry" season is over for the moment. It has been raining straight through since 9pm last night and shows no signs of stopping, although it has tapered off for now. We are currently looking at very light showers here in the south of the island. The ground is soaked through as this hasn't been a pounding rain, but rather a steady, medium soaking. I have no word yet as to the roads that were damaged back during Hurricane Tomas - or of any land slides, however the news will be on in about 15 minutes. Any news of landslides, I will report on here right away.
Looks like St. Vincent has had it worse than us for now - our hearts go out to them as they survery the flooding so far. Hard to belive we have more than a month to go until "rainy" season!
Be safe out there and have a great - somewhat soggy - day!
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- Showers
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:25:11 -0400
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Well, looking at the satellite pictures, it looks like St. Lucia is in for a strign of showers and some periods of heavy rain. That said, it seems these shower rarely hit us here in the very south of the island, instead dumping all their rain on the norrth or the rainforest. We could use a little of that rain to perk up the garden and keep our fuit trees flowering! The cloud cover and light breeze is keeping the temperature very comfortable though. It's been great!
Have a great day out there!
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- Spring Update
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2011 15:51:14 -0400
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Greetings from St. Lucia! We are currently experiencing a wetter than normal spring. We have seen showers on most days, interspersed with lots of hot sunshine and great off-shore winds to keep thinngs green and lush all over the island. No fear of a drought this year, that's for sure! The last 24 hours have seen us with humid days and some pouring rain here in the south in the early morning hours, followed by a dry afternoon with some scttered clouds to keep it cool. The great part is - our garden is doing great and our mango trees are wild with pre-mango flowers. Looks like it will be a good year for us!
Have a great day all!
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- interesting weather
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:09:33 -0500
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Here in the South of St. Lucia, we have been having very interesting weather for the past while. It has been mostly sunny and beautiful, with big fluffy white clouds and a nice breeze to keep the heat down; however several times a day we are getting a downpour!!! Strong enough downpour that we have to shut windows and bring back out the towels for under the doors! While the downpours only last about 5 minutes and our garden is very thankful - it has been strange!!! It has also kept the mosquitos up and running, when usually, they are slacking off about this time of year. On a positive note - it is helping to keep people's water tanks full, which is great as the water distribution here has not been fully sorted out.
All in all, it's been beautiful here!
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- Happy New Year!!!!
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2011 12:04:00 -0500
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Happy New Year! I hope your 2011 is filled with all the happiness and joy you could ask for!
Here in St. Lucia, we rang in the new year at Jalouse Resort with fireworks between the Pitons -
it was fantastic. The new year, so far, has brought us amazingly beautiful weather.
Have a wonderful day and hopefully, this will be our best year yet!!!
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- Wet and Dry Merry Christmas!!!
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Sat, 25 Dec 2010 12:06:27 -0500
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Merry Christmas one and all!!! We are having on and off showers here in the south - so a wet Christmas. We also have no water in the pipe for over a week now - dry Christmas!! Considering the water situation, we are very grateful for the continued showers to keep our tanks and containers full! Many of us have house guests this time of year - the no running water is making it very interesting!!! The continued showers, though, make the idea of our house to house progression a bit more challenging this year! Well, it's Christmas in the Caribbean - even with the rain, I really can't complain!!! Who would listen to me anyways?
I hope you have a very merry holiday season wherever you may be and that today is filled with love and joy!
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- A Wet Christmas
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:27:14 -0400
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Another day of heavy rain and there is flooding in various places once
again. The Gros Islet highway is awash in places and I only went as
far as Bois D'Orange! Looking at the long range models, this weather
looks likely to continue on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, with better
weather from Monday for a few days. Spare a thought for the crews
trying to keep the roads going and the clearing the drains of plastic
waste. Please St Lucia, take your empty plastic bottles home!
Best wishes for the season to everyone and if you're travelling this
Christmas, drive carefully and be safe.
Chris Jenkins
www.facebook.com/zaravillas
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- Taking a drive through Bexon and over the Barre de L'isle
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- By Lisa Kessell <kessellc at candw.lc>
- Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:54:44 -0430
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Nothing else to report that already hasn't been posted by the other marvelous correspondents on here.
But I finally managed to edit and upload a video showing what the Vieux Fort highway is like over the Barre de L'isle and through Bexon, one of the worst hit communities.
So check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2flzatLXrk
Best regards,
Chris Kessell
PS: I'm posting this using Safari on my wifes Mac rather than Outlook on my PC which seems to play havoc with the formatting.... Hopefully this will look better! |
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- Rain, Rain, Rain
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:38:42 -0400
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Wednesday 22nd December
Whilst the rest of the world is struggling with snow, we are experiencing a lot of rain here in St Lucia.
There is a trough passing just west of Grenada and we are getting the follow on rain which this morning has been very heavy, causing flooding in many places. I have been told that this will stop late tonight, lets hope so, as we do not want any more landslides or road closures.
I went on a boat trip down to Soufriere on Sunday and was pleasantly surprised to see that things are now back to normal, they even have regular water which is more than can be said for Marigot, water here is still very intermittent in supply and is causing some problems. Wasco have told me that it is because they have a problem with one of the pumps at Bexon and this is being worked on, however this has been the problem for at least two weeks now so it is still the case of collecting rainwater ( of which currently there is plenty) and showers under the broken pipe.
Not much else to report at this time so I will end by saying a Happy Christmas to all.
Sue
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- Invest in December?!
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 10:18:46 -0400
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Well, we've has torrential rain for three out of the last four days,
Sunday, Tuesday night and all this morning. Radar images indicate a
break shortly, but there seems to be a lot of weather out there in the
Atlantic and we may have more rain over the next few days. Not sure
how much of this, if any, is down to Invest 95 but we certainly have
seen more rain in the Windwards and lower Leewards than we would
expect this time of year. Coronal Mass Emission, lunar eclipse, Gulf
Stream way off its normal course and an Invest - a busy December so
far. Not what the ARC crews were looking forward to when they finally
reached St Lucia.
Will any of us get to the beach this Christmas?
Chris Jenkins
www.zaravillas.com
www.facebook.com/zaravillas
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- More Liquid Sunshine.....
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:50:57 -0500
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Well, the rain showers continue. Looks like for the next few days we will have continuing showers with short breaks of sunshine. Considering the still problamatic water situation in a few communities around the island, the rainfall is appreciated! While most areas have been restored since Hurricane Tomas, we still have a few villages and towns without a pipe-born supply. It is a struggle!
On a happier note, most everything else on island has returned to normal and Christmas is in full swing!!! Hapy Holidays everyone!
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- Liquid Sunshine
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2010 11:27:07 -0500
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Well, it is somewhat overcast with some infrequent showers today. We had a few heavy cloudbursts last night but today has mostly been light rain off and on. Thesun is peking out in between, and the showers over the ocean look beautiful! Let's hope they pass today for our "KOLAYSON NWÈL" celebration in Laborie tomorrow! Steel pan, masqueraders, stilt dancers, bands, all the usual Christmas celebrations!
Have a wonderful holiday season!
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- Brrrrr!!
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:48:15 -0500
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Well, it's winter in St. Lucia and BRRRRR!!! It must have been down to about 76 degrees last night - chilly! Had to wear thelong pajama pants
and even a pair of socks! What is this word coming too?
Today was a hazy, slightly overcast day - but still dry. Managed to have power, water and dry, breezy weather all at once - got a few loads of
laundry done! Yippeeee! Here's hoping there's no shower's down here overnight so it can all dry on the line.
A few more projects to finish around the house before mom comes fo her visit - then let the holidays begin! Christmas in St. Lucia is the best!
Have a safe and happy season!
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- Another day in paradise
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2010 11:51:03 -0500
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Another beautiful day in Southern St. Lucia! We had some showers last night, they were actually quite heavy at times, but woke up to sunshine and great breezes today!
Another great view of St. Vincent as we work in the yard and finish some painting before Mom comes for her Christmas visit! And another day to load up on the bug spray as
the mosquitos keep coming!
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- 2010 Season - the movie
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2010 12:07:10 -0400
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| This is the link to the NOAA video loop of the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Just in case you'd forgotten what is was like...!!!
Chris Jenkins |
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- Sunday's Update 5 December 2010
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2010 09:12:52 -0400
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Showers and sunshine!
It has been feeling 'cold' over the past couple of days and the sun has been watery, it must be an indication of us approaching the winter solstice. Lots of rain yesterday so yet again I was out with the buckets filling up. I walked the dog down to the beach for something to do, it was deserted except for a few local vendors that had opened on the off chance that someone would turn up. I didnt bother staying but walked the steep hill back up to my house and felt better for the exercise.
It looks like today will also be one of those days best for staying in around the house and clearing up etc.
Things are beginning to get back to normal here which is fantastic, during the week we had 5 ships in Castries harbour which was great, Castries town and even Marigot beach was full with very happy tourists, I have to say the people that I met on Thursday that came down to Marigot from the Carnival ship were absolutely loving the island, saying it is the best one they have visited so far. The beach vendors did a great trade in fresh coconuts, cooled then cut open, and then a little rum poured in to make a nice cocktail, I have to say a lot of the tourists went back to the ship in a very happy state! All promising to come back and visit again.
I have made attempts to find out some more on the hotel openings, most are saying that they will be up and running within the next few days, but again this is all dependant on water which I have to say still has not got through to some areas, including Marigot. I am speaking to Wasco on a daily basis but they admit they are overwhelmed. I will keep you all informed.
Sue
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- Grey Day
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Sat, 4 Dec 2010 12:39:37 -0500
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It is overcast and gloomy here in the south, grey clouds overhead threatening rain. No showers yet here, but looking towards the north, the sky is darker yet. Probably some rain in the interior of the island - can't say about the north end. At least it is cool out today! Hope we get a few showers, my garden could use some perking up!
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- Postcard
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2010 11:39:23 -0500
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Postcards are made on days like today! It is beautiful outside, a few wispy clouds, bright blue sky - the reason people come the the Caribbean!
A few showers last night perked up the garden and washed everything clean and fresh. Today - the beach is calling. Think I will take the puppy down
to the water.
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- Postcard
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:29:50 -0500
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Today was a postcard day here in the south! One brief pssing shower, big fluffy white clouds, deep blue sea - it was perfect!
As of today, hurricane season is "officially" over, but somehow, I think the weather will have one last laugh at us.
I see some big cloud blobs (technical term actually!) off to our east, hope they make a turn north soon!
Quick update on a few hotels here in the south:
Jalousie - new opening date: Dec. 19.
Coconut Bay - new opening date: Dec. 14
Ladera - still saying Dec. 15
The main problem remains the water supply. While some water reached Vieux Fort and Laborie this past weekend, it has still not
reached all parts of the towns and it is barely a trickle. Until the water problem is solved completely, can't open the hotels!
Will keep you posted as I get it......
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- Monday
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:23:39 -0500
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Today in South St. Lucia it is really breezy and cool with some overhad cloudiness. Almost looks like we will get some showers, however none yet. It has just been nice and cool all day and the breezes have dried our clothes in about half the time!
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- Rain
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 15:25:11 -0400
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We have just had loads of rain, lasting about half and hour, it was so heavy that there was some flooding, however managed to fill every water container I had! hooray! and have my usual shower under the broken pipe! Bliss!
Just saw the satellite picture as mentioned in the previous posts, looks like more on the way, lets hope its not too bad as although we need rain we don't want too much.
I have spoken to a lady from the Red Cross today they are going to try and send out water trucks on a more regular basis to us - Thanks for that it is needed!
Best Regards
S
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- Ooops!
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 12:27:16 -0500
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Well, apparently, I meant - the dark clouds are rolling in and we should have rain in the next 10 minutes - as opposed to the next hour!
While Chris has sunshine up north, we down here in the south are "enjoying" more rainfall. We all hope that we get enough to fill tanks and buckets - and take a shower! But not s much that we lose more roads or Soufriere suffers any more damage.
That satellite picture is not looking good for the home team, however.
Will keep you posted.....
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- Sat.
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 12:19:01 -0500
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Well, dry here at the moment and not much rain yet today, but we all know how fast that can change! Darks clouds are headed our way, I expect rain in about an hour or so.
Most people down here in the south filled buckets and containers last night, so rain this afternoon will jus be a bonus.
As for hotels closed here in the south - per Susan's update - I can give some of that info:
Coconut Bay Resort/Spa in Vieux Fort is closed. Expected opening date of Dec. 7, but right now, that is contingent on pipe-born water, which is still not to Vieux Fort after 4weeks. 2nd largest town on the island and no water for 4 weeks. Not a great situation.
In the Soufriere area, Jalousie Plantation is closed, expected opening Dec. 15. Contingent on finishing clean up and pipe-born water.
Ladera is closed, they give an expected opening of Dec. 15 also, dependent on, again, water and some cleanup, minor road-works and some work on a few rooms.
Jade Mtn, Anse Chastenet are both open for business, as is Stonefield Estates and La Haut.
That's all I have for now - will let you know if I find out anything more about the southern hotels!
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- Sun!
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 13:11:42 -0400
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Well, after the heavy rain of earlier today, the glories of the
tropics strike and we are bathed in hot sunshine in the North of the
Country - although there seems to be a fair amount of cloud over the
central areas. Hopefully, we can avoid any more rain for a few days.
Some beach time due now, surely.
Still lots of rain showing on the satellite images here on StormCarib.
Go north please!
Chris Jenkins
www.zaravillas.com
www.facebook.com/zaravillas
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- Saturday's Update 27 November 2010
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 12:57:00 -0400
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Showery today with the odd sunny spell.
Still no water to the Marigot Area, we have had a couple of instances in the past week when the water was on for an hour or so which enabled the lucky ones amongst us that have tanks to fill up at least to half full but as yet no firm supply. I was told that there has been a major fracture in the pipe that supplies this area and this has not been found yet as it is under a landslide.
I have to thank Bob, the manager at The Marina in Marigot Bay for speaking to me yesterday, he pointed out something very obvious which I hadnt even thought about, why not direct the water from my pipe into the water tank that I have, duh! Why didnt I think of that! So work commences today. Thank you Bob!
Most hotels in the north are functioning normally however I have learnt that some hotels are still closed in the South, I am in the process of finding out which ones are closed and expected opening dates, so I hope to post them shortly.
In the meanwhile it is still business as usual, thank you to Lucelec and Wasco for all their hard work, lets hope all of us get water and in some cases electricity soon.
Best Regards
Sue
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- Wet, wet, wet
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 08:51:50 -0400
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St Lucia and once again heavy rains, this time from what I can see on
the French radar, mainly in the Northern half of the Country. From the
satellite images here on StormCarib, looks as if we have a wet weekend
ahead of us. So, the GFS model which showed some major event for the
end of the month but then down played this to just "heavy rain" for
the Southern Windwards may have been correct. I hope the South got
enough to fill their rainwater tanks but no more than they needed and
that the works at Bexon have kept the river under control.
Thanks to Chris Kessel for his videos (see them earlier on this St
Lucia page if you've not watched them yet).
As parts of the UK had 15" of snow yesterday, and parts of the USA
continue to have a range of extremely cold weather conditions, I'd
rather be here with my mop and towels than freezing in England or
Wyoming.
Chris Jenkins
www.zaravillas.com
www.facebook.com/zaravillas
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- RAIN!
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 00:53:54 -0500
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Well, lots of rain tonight! We said goodbye this afternoon to a good friend at the int'l airport and it was sunny and dry here in the south. By about 6 tonight, the clouds had rolled in and the rain followed soon after. We have had heavy showers on and off all night. The sattelite pictures show another round of clouds, so I am expecting more rain through Saturday! I know Laborie and Vieux Fort are happy to see the rain as they still have no pipe born water. Time to refill the buckets! Wasco has said they should have water to VF this weekend - will let you know!
Otherwise, the garden is getting a good dose and the tank is getting filled! Yipppeeeee!
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- Just another day in paradise....
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- By "Christopher Kessell" <kessellc at candw.lc>
- Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2010 21:50:29 -0400
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Not too much to report other than we had an Island Wide power failure that started at 6 am on Sunday morning and lasted until around 11 am. According to Lucelec moisture got into some of the high voltage switch gear which led to a total system shut down. They have been very busy on other fronts as well. I had to drive down to Soufriere on Saturday and they are busy replacing the damaged power lines and poles that were destroyed by that huge landslide above Columbet. I took some pictures and video during my drive through the worst of the areas and you can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNH8r-FtfzM Watch it in HD if you have the bandwidth. The West Coast road is still unbelievably bad, I somewhat amazed that it is open in the shape that it is. The two days of very heavy rain made the section at the landslide quite a bit muddy and nasty but as long as you take it easy there shouldn't be any problems getting through. What was really surprising were the number of tourist buses on the road, more so than regular local traffic. The rain we had on the Thursday and Friday up north was unbelievable! The Golf Course up at cap had overflowing ponds the likes of which I had never seen before. I took a walk just after the rain and took some video of the water running from one pond across the course and into another pond. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zyo_bTEN-yg We are starting to get mains water in my area of Cap Estate, that would be almost three weeks since Tomas, but going that long without pipe borne water is not unusual for us so I wasn't getting worried. Our roads in Cap Estate have really begun to deteriorate due to the water flowing across and along them in many places. The Taiwanese have been kind enough to repair the main road the last two times but I don't see them doing the same this time around! And with the money that government is spending, it will be years before they look at our section... We have all earned our PHD's (Pot hole dodging).... I almost had a head on collision with a driver in a large 4 x 4 pickup who was swerving around one of the worst areas which unfortunately is around a corner! A lot of the street lights are still without power, makes driving in some areas a real testament to ones memory as you don't see the potholes until it's too late. But I think Lucelec has more important work to finish up without hassling them about a few street lights. Chris Kessell |
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- Beautiful Day
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:33:05 -0500
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It is a beautiful day here in the southof St. Lucia. Bright sunshine, great breeze, and a glimpse of St. Vincent from the porch - another postcard day!
The showers last night really perked up the plants without seeming to overwhelm any roads - so a perfect job there! I think this will have to be a beach day!
Enjoy!
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- St. Lucia
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- By Chris Reed <reedprincess at hotmail.com>
- Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:21:18 -0500
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Well, it seems that hurricane season is not quite over here in St. Lucia! Currently, in the south of the island at least, we are experiencing some pretty heavy showers, acompanie y a nice, cool breeze - or should I say gusts!
The rain is good news for Laborie and most of Vieux Fort as they are still without pipe-born water. Let's hope these showers don't cause any more havoc in the already over-saturated hillsides around the island.
Looks like these showers may last through the evening. At least it has cooled off!!
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- St Lucia dry and breezy
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:06:01 -0400
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Well, it is beginning to get cooler, the breeze is fresh and we've had
no rain for a few days. Life continues to climb back to normal and for
those in the worst hit areas of the Country, a dry few days has been a
relief.
Isabel from St Croix wanted to know if the tragic story of the young
boy being killed as he want on a errand is true. Sadly, yes it is. The
link to the story in the Voice is below.
http://www.thevoiceslu.com/local_news/2010/november/20_11_10/Weather_System_Takes_Another_Life.htm
Hopefully the season has ended but I don't want to tempt fate!
I'd also like to add a words of thanks to Gert and co for keeping the
site going and giving us this forum for news, info and local voices.
And thanks to "Hogan of Grenada" for his information and great
observations - indeed thanks to all the posters from the Islands who
make this site such a success.
Good luck to all.
Chris Jenkins
www.zaravillas.com
www.facebook.com/zaravillas
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- Sunday's Update
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Sun, 21 Nov 2010 16:38:10 -0400
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Hot and Sunny with a cool breeze, no rain so everything is drying out.
There was celebration this morning as water was in some parts of Marigot, this only lasted a couple of hours and did not reach my house unfortunately but it has been taken away again so a lot of the locals this afternoon were bathing in the river again. I have written to Wasco to find out what is happening but as it is a Sunday I probably wont get a reply until tomorrow. We are just so desperate now, we need water!
Not much else to say as there has been no official update on the roads, I am guessing that as the weather is now OK they are open, as soon as I get official word I will report on this.
Lets just hope that we are on the way to getting back to normal.
Best Regards
Sue
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- Friday's Update
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:15:50 -0400
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More rain today and some flooding, however I traveled down from Gros Islet through Castries to Marigot and I can honestly say it was not as bad as yesterday - thank goodness because at one point I had visions of being stranded in a strange place with nowhere to stay!
Anyway it appears the weather front has now passed us ( 5.15pm local time) lets hope so.
Here is the latest from the Communications and Works Department which may go some way to answering your questions regarding the roads. I have not received the official press release mentioned in this notice as yet but will do so as soon as I receive it.
Best Regards
Sue
Dear member,
Please be informed that the Ministry of Communications,
Works, Transport and Public Utilities advises that the East Coast Road is
opened, however, the public is advised that the Troumassee Bridge in Micoud is
currently operating as a single lane traffic flow.
Kindly note,
the West Coast Road
is also opened however, the Ministry of Communications advised motorists to proceed
with caution.
The Ministry have advised that an
official Press Release will be issued later today.
Best Regards,
Andrena
Simon
Communications &
Marketing Specialist
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- More rain
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:19:28 -0400
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Even more rain than yesterday and very difficult to make out when it
may stop. We are really going to have difficulties beyond our capacity
if there is no change in the weather soon. People in Bexon are going
through hell.
Chris Jenkins
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- Weather has calmed down now
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:47:25 -0400
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Thunder and lightening and heavy showers all day until about 4pm this afternoon, and absolute nightmare, especially when water is running down your back despite all your bad weather precautions - yuk!
I am pleased I did not get to Castries today, someone posted pictures on facebook and they were shocking with water up to thigh height. There was also a picture of the mother that lost her 9 year old child, it was heartbreaking.
The government closed both of the main roads so the local marina here in Marigot sent a flotilla of water taxi's down to Soufriere and Vieux Fort to pick up stranded guests, but that was not even without its hazards as there was a lot of debris in the sea. ( I can vouch for this myself as I went out on my boat the other day and there are still whole trees stuck in the shallow sea by Roseau Beach) so boat operators have to be careful.
On a more positive note the rain has now stopped and hopefully the floods will abate. So I am hoping that we wake up to blazing sunshine tomorrow - I will let you know.
Best Regards
Sue
www.stluciahouseforsale.webs.com
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- Heavy Rain and Flooding
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:00:38 -0400
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Heavy rain and thunderstorms since during the night, Cul De Sac is flooded and no buses and running between Anse La Raye and Castries.
I waited nearly 2 hours for a bus, and had to give up today, the rain was coming down very heavily and the West Coast Road has been closed due to more land slides.So it doesn't rain it pours, if you will excuse the pun.A child has been reported drowned at La Clery.
The only benefit is most people have managed to capture water for washing and cleaning.
The Roseau area is also flooded, apparently there is a trough of bad weather passing over us at the moment, we could do with rain but not to the magnitude that we are currently experiencing.
I will write again soon.
Best Regards
Sue
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- By "GLASS WORLD LTD ST.LUCIA" <glassworldslu at hotmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:53:39 +0100
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Golf course is now a lake !
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- By "GLASS WORLD LTD ST.LUCIA" <glassworldslu at hotmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:48:32 +0100
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This is Castries town centre by the SLASPA building, as you can see there are cruise ships in harbour which is causong havoc as there are tourists wading thru the flooded streets.
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- By "GLASS WORLD LTD ST.LUCIA" <glassworldslu at hotmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:46:30 +0100
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roads in castries are now rivers flowing...
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- By "GLASS WORLD LTD ST.LUCIA" <glassworldslu at hotmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:44:06 +0100
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18th November 2010
The flooded area of Bananes roundabout, castries,st.lucia.... guy in canoe trying to unblock the drain
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- Castries to Dennery Road closed, Castries buildings flooded
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 11:33:15 -0400
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| Just in from the St Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association is this message:
Dear Members & Colleagues, We have just been in touch with the Ministry of Communications and Works who has informed that due to the ongoing heavy rainfall, which began earlier this morning, the East Coast road between Cul de Sac and Dennery has been rendered impassable for the time being. This therefore means that there is no thorough traffic between Castries and the South of the island at this time other than by air or sea. We are also flooded out and marooned here at the office but will continue to update you as more information comes to mind. Please therefore be guided accordingly. Chris Jenkins
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- Never mind the end, this is a wet middle of the month!!
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:20:45 -0400
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Checked the charts here on Storm Carib and it seemed the little wave /
trough shown East of the Windwards was some way off. Sadly, not the
case. After showers yesterday, we are now deluged with heavy rain and
no wind, so this front is moving very slowly / sitting over us. Dark,
grey miserable sky, all the house lights on as it is too gloomy to
see. Already problems on the East Coast Road, south of Castries, with
the river in Bexon overflowing and limiting the use of the main road.
More rainwater than I can store now and the country as a whole needs
this volume of rain like a hole in the head. Worrying times for areas
that have already had land slides and progress in recovering from
Tomas will be slowed down by this.
Hoping this weather does not extend all the way to the South but fear
it does.
Chris Jenkins
www.zaravillas.com
www.facebook.com/zaravillas
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- Rain islandwide
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- By Monier <zoukwe at gmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:02:09 -0400
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Surface trough passing through the islands, causing heavy rains today in St Lucia islandwide. Another landslide at Colombette reported to have closed West Coast road to Soufriere again.
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- Wet end to the month?
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 07:56:31 -0400
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| I'm reading reports of the GFS model predicting a problematic system late this month, early December. It is rather speculative at this time but worth people being aware of and keeping alert for more definite news over the next week or so. On the long run GFS model, a system is predicted to appear in a similar original location to Tomas and therefore have a potential impact on the Lesser Antilles. Obviously this is a wide area and at this early stage cannot be seen as a real event. No other models, other than GFS seem to be taking this up.
GFS are also predicting increasing wnd shear over the next two weeks which would suggest the conditions are not conducive for another storm.
The other possibility is that rather than a major storm , we may have high levels of rainfall as a trough pulls in moisture to the region. GFS and other models appear to be predicting such a weather pattern.
This was posted this morning (18th) by the San Juan Met Service (Puerto Rico):
A MUCH WETTER PATTERN IS SUGGESTED BY GLOBAL MODELS TOWARD THE END
OF THE MONTH (AFTER THANKSGIVING) AS A POLAR TROUGH ESTABLISHES NORTH
OF THE REGION WITH AN INVERTED TROF PATTERN AT THE SFC. THIS MAY
ALLOW FOR AN ITCZ FLARE UP EVENT AS TRADES WEAKEN AND POLAR TROUGH
PULLS DEEP MOISTURE INTO THE REGION.
So a period of heavy rain may be the outcome for parts of the region towards the end of the month and into December - something a number of countries could do without given the impact of Tomas. Even the relatively modest levels of rain we've had over the past 48 hours are making the recovery work in St Lucia tougher.
It would help if people could keep their eyes peeled for any further news on this.
Chris Jenkins |
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- Wednesday 17 November
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2010 07:08:36 -0400
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Showers today - hooray! At last I can fill some buckets with water to flush the toilet and wash, you just dont realise what it is like not to have water until it goes!
I received an email last night which I want to share with you, it is from a lovely lady called Kathy whom used to live in St Lucia, it just shows that things never change and should we ever have another hurricane, make sure you stock up with non-perishables and water first.
"Hello Sue,
You won't have any idea who I am but I am an avid follower the postings on Stormcarib.
I just had to send you a note after reading your latest contribution.
I had to laugh. Don't get me wrong I feel the plight of the St. Lucian people but to quote the old adage
"been there, done that".
My husband and I lived in St Lucia in the late 70's early 80's. We were, unfortunately, there when Hurricane Allan
blew through the island. The storm started to pick up around 9PM and continued until around 9Am the next day.
There was considerable damage and loss of life.
We lived up on the Morne and our house stood up reasonably well except for the roof.
The part that made me laugh was you shower description. We did exactly the same thing. A broken gutter
provided a great stream of water when it rained. We used the corrugated metal roofing that had blown off
and constructed a shower stall so we were able to shower sans bathing suits.
We also kept a cupboard full, at all times, of large wine bottles filled with water that we used for washing when
the water was off and the cistern ran out
The electrical and water companies, back then, were totally overwhelmed. It was weeks before power was restored.
I can't even remember when the water came back on but I can remember delivering bags of outdated sterile water
from the hospital, to friends with babies.
Dining became a real communal event as we tried to use up what ever was in the freezer. It was only open once a day
until everything had thawed and all had to be cooked.
It was also avocado season when Allan hit. They were all blown off
their trees. Of course they couldn't be wasted, so they became a
part of most meals. I drew the line on avocado on toast for breakfast!
Hopefully, things will soon return to some sense of normalcy for you.
Thinking of you up in Canada. All the best
Kathy "
Hopefully Wasco will keep up the good work and water will be returned soon, if not if the skies keep opening as they did this morning, I will be happy!
Have a great day!
Sue
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- Tuesday's update
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:39:38 -0400
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Weather has been hot today with no rain, forecast is saying scattered showers over the next 24 hours lets hope so as there is no water in lots of areas.
Well we are beginning to find it hard now in Marigot, everyone has taken to bathing in the local rivers which are also being used for washing, it is a common site now to see people walking with buckets on their heads and water containers hanging from each arm as they go out in search of this precious commodity.
The two main hotels in Marigot have water and I have seen trucks delivering to them so most tourists are OK, however its us normal citizens that are suffering, I dont mind telling you I have not had a shower in days as their has been no rain ( I normally go outside in a bikini and bathe under the pipe that was damaged in the storm as all the water comes off the roof) but at the moment I am trying to rinse myself in small bottles of water after bathing in the sea.
However on a happier note Wasco the local water company are working flat out to get supplies going and a lot of the island now has water for which everyone is extremely grateful.
There was a small earthquake today in the North of the Island, 3.4 on the Richter scale which was situated 23km under the earth so there was no damage, people just felt the ground shake a little, to be honest this is a fairly common occurence here we really dont want anymore problems so thank goodness it was only small and situated in the North.
Nothing much else to say at the moment,
Will report again soon hopefully with the happy news that we have water!
Sue
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- West Coast Road
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- By Monier <zoukwe at gmail.com>
- Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2010 14:15:03 -0400
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Recent photos: West coast road between Soufriere & Canaries re-open, and showing the scale of the Colombette landslide.
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- Light rain and progress
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2010 10:42:47 -0400
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| A short sharp shower of rain this morning, enough to half fill my small water barrel and start to fill the rainwater harvesting tanks. Hopefully, not enough rain to cause problems for the engineers working on the roads and water system or cause further landslides.
St Lucia needs continuing support from the international community to help repair infrastructure and individuals needs further help from the Red Cross, Rotary Club and all the other agencies and individuals helping people who have lost their possessions, homes and livelihoods.
At the same time, the progress made in 2 weeks in recovery works has been outstanding. I received this summary bulletin of progress this morning and we all expect water supplies to re-start shortly. I suspect visitors to the main tourist areas in the North would find evidence of the hurricane difficult to spot. Hoping for a little more gentle rain in the North and no more storms!!
Chris Jenkins
· The Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) restarted the water supply system. Albeit not at full capacity, late Thursday, November 11, 2010 providing water to hundreds of households in lower elevations in the north of the island. · Pipelines from John Compton Dam to holding tanks now fully operational and receiving water from the Dam · Major roads have been cleared and the East coast road (Castries-Vieux Fort) is now open daily to regular vehicular traffic from 6.00 AM to 9.00 PM, while the southern part of the West coast road (Soufrière-Vieux Fort) is now fully motorable · About two-thirds of Saint Lucia's attractions have re-opened, and this past Sunday, November 7, both Holland America's Noordam and P & O’s Oceana brought thousands of passengers who were able to experience some of those attractions, including Lucian Life, Zip Lining in the Saint Lucian Rainforest; and sail catamarans to the popular Marigot Bay as well as visit some of the island's famous beaches. Saint Lucia's taxi drivers and vendors were also elated at the return of visitors to the island · Pigeon Island Landmark re-opened to the public on Wednesday November 3rd, 2010 · Morne Historic Area: The ruins and other historical buildings within the Morne Historic Area sustained no visible damage from Hurricane Tomas · The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association and its member lines quickly restored cruise business in the wake of the October 30 hurricane and also shipped in humanitarian assistance for affected Saint Lucians. |
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- Saturday 13th November - 2 weeks since Hurricane Tomas.
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2010 09:41:12 -0400
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Saturday morning, again very hot, and no rain yet!
It appears water is getting through to a lot of areas, on Thursday night water started flowing from the Ciceron water treatment plant. Rumours are it reached as far as Marisule! This is great news, so thank you to Wasco and the Ministry of Communications workers for all their hard work.
There is even some water getting through to Soufriere.
I dont think it will be too long at this pace for the whole island to be back on mains supply, I think I will say a toast to the workers when my pipes finally get water!
I received an email from my friends at Hotel Chocolat this morning, they are on the Rabot estate just outside Soufriere, they finally have power back on and the hotel is virtually undamaged and all staff are OK, so I am very grateful for the news.
Life seems to have returned more or less to normal in Marigot, of course we are still needing water but daily business is going on as normal, tourists are visiting the beach, the hotels are beginning to fill up and all seems to be well. Marigot Beach Club Hotel and Captain Bravo ( the ferry business owner) are all working hard to restore the palm umbrellas on the beach but apart from the fact they have a few leaves missing and look bare in places you wouldn't really know that there had even been a hurricane.
I am off fishing now - I will keep you updated on any news - keep your fingers crossed I catch one!
Sue
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- Friday's update - hot, hot, hot!
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:46:15 -0400
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Another hot, sunny day with no rain.
Water has been restored to the tourist destination of Rodney Bay, we are just hoping the good news continues and that we all get water soon as people are desparate.
There was one tanker of water that came and gave out supplies in the village last night but unfortunately the supply was soon gone, most people that need it, particualarly the old could not access it so I am hoping they will send more today. Thanks to the cruise liners that have been visiting the island and giving us tankers of water, it is very much appreciated.
Life is returning to normal here which is good, and most hotels have water it is just us poor citizens that are suffering, still the good thing is most St Lucians' are very resourceful and have found springs and streams to wash in and do the laundry, it is just annoying as there is no drinking water and where there is the prices have been vastly inflated, most shops are selling bottles of water that are normally $1.50 for at least $2.50. I am not sure if the inflated prices are from greedy shop owners or from the suppliers, it is just so annoying.
Not much else to report at the moment as things are quiet, I am personally pleased as my carpets are now dried out. Have a good weekend.
Sue
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- water crisis
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- By "Frans van Santbrink" <j69ds at candw.lc>
- Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:22:42 -0400
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Hi all, After storm been busy and have not posted at all. The road on the east coast is now ‘open’ during the day at least, so at least the south is accessible in some measure again. However the water problem is steadily increasing. Wasco is unable at this time to provide water because of damage to the dam infrastructure. And it is not clear as to when they will get all that back in order again either. Just yesterday I passed by Hill 20, Babonneau where Wasco has a pumping station that is getting some supply from minor catchments and is at least putting out water. So everybody goes there and so it is a struggle when you get there. In my humble opinion there should be police presence there, cause from what I hear fights do break out over water… The worst is that there is no clear end in sight for this water problem. Nemo, Red Cross and others do their utmost to get bottled water out to those most in need but it is no easy task either. And the supermarkets have no bottled water either, when they get a batch it is gone within seconds, again people on,y thinking of themselves and buying by 4 cases or even more. The supermarkets ought to implement a 1 case limit that way more people will get a little bit at least. In Mon Repos Mr Pat Joseph has a spring which he has made available to all so in that area at least there is water available, and still the same problem excist: everybody wants to be first and nobody wants to wait… In all that we have to thank our Lord God for we are still standing… God Bless, Frans van Santbrink Mobile: (758) 715-3129 Email: j69ds at candw.lc | fransjr at dageekz.com IM: j69ds at hotmail.com Radio: 146.940 (-0.6) Mhz My blog on dageekz.com |
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- Thursday's Update
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2010 08:37:41 -0400
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Nice Sunny day today, and really hot, no rain yet, everyone is praying for it, but nothing yet.
Went into Castries yesterday and visited the Red Cross headquarters, explained that we were all desperate for water in the Marigot area, much the same as the rest of the island ( there is water now in Anse La Raye the next village down but this area has its own water system and does not rely on the dam) so they kindly gave me some food parcels and 20 cases of water to distribute in my area. I returned and gave out the water and food as best as I could to the needy, but everyone is so desperate, there was some pushing and shoving, but otherwise all went well.
I noticed that people are stopping at the side of the road where ever there are streams or springs and filling buckets, cleaning their cars etc. We are all watching the news closely to try and find out when the water will be back on, the problem Wasco ( the water company) have is that the pipes are broken in places, I was told by a police officer yesterday that they have managed to get two pumps out of the normal five working, but they have to turn them on and walk the pipes to see where the leaks are, when they find one they have to turn the pump off, repair that section of pipe and start the whole exercise again, so it will take time for water supplies to be back to normal. I noticed that there are tankers of water being delivered to the hotels around this area so luckily our foreign visitors are OK, and most hotels are reporting that they are open and have enough water to run normally, so that is good news.
Generally things are returning to normal around this area, I cannot speak for the South as I have not visited there personally, however a friend flew in to Vieux Fort ( in the South) from the US yesterday and she was able to hire a car and drive all the way to Marigot, the road in some places where there have been landslides is single track and you have to be very careful, but at least she got through.
I will write again with an update soon.
Sue
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- The ramblings of a conscientious observer.....
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- By "Christopher Kessell" <kessellc at candw.lc>
- Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2010 23:34:06 -0500
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Well
everyone is on the hunt for bottled water it seems. There have been relief
supplies coming in from some of the other islands. I was at the main dock today
and a relatively small fishing type boat came in with water and other supplies.
People were scrambling to get cases of water, I somehow get the feeling that
those on the dock who are there for normal business purposes might not be the
target audience for relief supplies....
I
just hope that the people who really need it are not getting short changed due
to the prospect of some free water by better off residents.
I
was at the Rodney Bay Boat Yard a couple of days ago and someone told me that
there was mains water available. Not long after a line of water trucks
assembled on the highway outside the boatyard to get water from a hydrant. So
some water is getting through, however I don't think that much of it is getting
to residents.
I've
noticed people pumping water out of the Golf Course ponds in Cap Estate, most
likely for building purposes I would imagine!
The
cruise ships are back to their normal schedule and apparently they have been
donating water which is made onboard, they have also been donating other
supplies which is nice of them.
Oh
yes, the West Coast road to Soufriere has been made passable again, although as
can be seen in the video below, it is not for the faint of heart!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acAkDvsK-vI
Chris
Kessell
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- Tuesday's update
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 10:08:02 -0400
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Again another warm sunny day with a slight breeze, no rain - we need a little to replenish our supplies - lets hope for a few showers soon ( light not heavy)
Things seem to be getting slowly back to normal here particularly in the North of the island where most people are "back to business" there is still a lot of clearing up to do but people are working and carrying on their daily lives as they always have.
It is of course different in the South were many people are homeless, water is the main problem, water tablets are being shipped in but the amount is not going to be enough. Schools are closed as they need cleaning and a lot of equipment and books have been destroyed, there of course is no water even for basic sanitary care. The children here of course are loving their extended holidays and are making the most of the extra time, although soon I think boredom will set in.
Supplies are still needed, it seems that interest is waning in the supermarkets as the trolleys set aside for donations are not being filled up as much as they were. We need clothes, diapers, sanitary products, soap etc, blankets, torches, bottled water etc
There was a big rush in Marigot last night as a rumour went round that an organisation was giving away water in the local community centre, the rumour was false but it shows how desperate people are.
I will sign off now but if you can help through your various embassies, red cross etc please consider doing so as the aid is desperately needed here.
Thanks and have a great day, Sue x
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- Season continues
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 07:11:01 -0400
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Well, hope we haven't all switched off, post Tomas. Invest 93L is in
the Caribbean, south of Puerto Rico / DR - a 10% blob at present.
In the Atlantic NHC also highlight a tropical wave in their last
bulletin. This is heading our way but there is nothing to indicate it
is more than a rain event as yet.
To be honest, some rain would be welcome to fill up our water tanks as
we await repairs to the water supply.
Certainly, there is enough going on to remind us the season has not
ended yet!
Chris Jenkins
www,zaravillas.com
www.facebook.com/zaravillas
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- Sunny today - hooray!
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2010 13:35:05 -0400
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Sunny with a cool breeze today - a lot better than we have had, however most of us need some rain to be able to wash our clothes, flush toilets, clean houses and most importantly of all to drink ( after purification of course!)
I have just taken a bus into Castries, my first real trip out of Marigot for a week, I was shocked at the amount of landslides just on the short journey, houses have tumbled down hillsides and people are making do. The city was flooded badly and although the water has now cleared there is a distinct smell of sewage from the contamination. People are going about their daily lives but it is clear we need water!
I learnt today that some parts of the island have had water restored ( their supply does not come from the Roseau Dam) and a team are working at the dam to get the supply back on as soon as possible but they do have a lot of work to do
There has also been several reports in Canadian Newspapers about the storm, but I personally have seen nothing from the UK.
Lets hope that this changes soon, all you people out there please try and highlight the problem to your relative media sources, as we need the international community to wake up.
I received an email on this subject from a follower of Storm Carib, I have posted it in its entirety.
Hi Sue
I'm writing to you as the latest contributor to this site. I don't
know how to contribute direct, perhaps you could place it for me. Like
many people I have been trying to contact the media to find out why the
situation in St Lucia is not being reported. I've sent copies of two
letters that were published. The BBC reported it on CEFAX on the 30th
and removed it the next day, the papers are the same. One line about St
Lucia, two pictures of Barbados and conjecture about Haiti. The biggest
article is about a footballer's uncle who is missing in Souffriere.
I can only think that is not being reported because when the media
contacts the government they want to put a brave face on it and do not
confirm how bad the situation is. This maybe for the best in the long
run but for now the reason that international aid is not flooding into
St Lucia is that people just don't know about it.
Best Regards
Robin
This letter was sent to the Daily Mail 4th Nov out of 6 letters this
was the only one published I ended it with continued but they didn't
publish the second half
I can't believe the inadequate and inaccurate reporting on the
destruction in St Lucia. To start with St Lucia doesn't have a
president, Queen Elizabeth is the Head of State. When St Lucia was hit
it was a category 1 Hurricane, it was subsequently downgraded to storm.
Contrary to ''Many of St Lucia's buildings escaped without structural
damage although some hotels have been affected'' the facts are that
whole communities have been devastated by floods and landslides.
Souffriere, the country's second largest town and World Heritage Site is
completely cut off, all roads have been cut.The major road linking the
capital to the international airport has been breached by landslides and
several bridges have been swept away. Most hotels have been forced to
evacuate their guests because there is no fresh food and no
uncontaminated water as access roads to the resevoir are blocked. St
Lucia desperately needs help. Why have you failed to report this? Where
is the international aid? continued.
- Al, UK, 4/11/2010 10:25
This is from an item in the DM, no mention of the lack of water or the shutting down of hotels
'In collaboration with the
private sector, every effort is being made to ensure the smooth
departure of visitors who wish to leave by facilitating additional
airlift at both airports as well as transfers between the airports.
Visitors wishing to remain on island will continue to be taken care of.'
This month sees the start of the island's lucrative seasonal tourism industry. Cruise ships, currently being diverted to other islands, will sail back to St Lucia from November 7th. Tourism officials said the clean up will be completed by November 12th.
This is a letter to the DM yesterday, other people have made the same points, only a fraction of our letters are published
I can only assume that the lack of media interest in the tragic
situation in St Lucia is directly attributable to the St Lucian Tourist
Board. Despite the fact that there have been 14 confirmed deaths and
many missing, homes washed away, bridges collapsed and roads blocked by
landslides, the Minister of Tourism, Senator Chastanet, continues to
release statements that it's business as usual. Maybe it's in St Lucia's
best commercial interest, 80% of its foreign currency comes from
tourism, to pretend that tourism hasn't been affected but it's not true.
The people are in desperate straits and the infrastructure is badly
damaged. There is a shortage of water because the supply is contaminated
and hotels have evacuated all their guests. Despite their legendary
resilience Lucians desperately need help and some honest reporting from
the world media.
- Al, UK, 6/11/2010 20:57
Sue
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- clean up continues
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Sun, 7 Nov 2010 16:39:54 -0400
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Looking out over Reduit Beach and Pigeon Island on a gorgeous sunny
day, it is hard to believe a week ago we were emerging from 20 hours
of Hurricane Tomas. St Lucia continues to work hard to to recover from
the storm and in the North, the main tourism area, life is more or
less back to normal. Water here is still a problem but I understand
this should be resolved in the next week. The resilience of Lucians
and of nature itself is quite amazing and the sense of community and
common effort is very humbling.
Hopefully this last week has signalled the end of this year's storm
season and Caribbean people, particularly in Haiti, can breathe a
little easier.
Best wishes to everyone who visits Stormcarib and let's hope the
remainder of this year's postings are able to be positive stories.
Chris Jenkins
www.zaravillas.com
www.facebook.com/zaravillas
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- Sunday 7th November
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Sun, 7 Nov 2010 10:31:52 -0400
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Woke up to blazing sunshine - hooray, at last I can try and get some things dry!
The water shortage is becoming a real problem here, we are having to collect rainwater for washing and in some cases drinking - the ministry of health have advised everyone to boil water thoroughly before consuming to prevent the spread of disease.
A met a lady yesterday whom had managed to get up to Marigot by boat from Canaries, she told me that she had lost everything, I took her home and picked out some spare clothes I had for her and her family which made her so happy, I was so pleased I could help.
Everyone in the village had a visit from the Red Cross yesterday they came round to assess the damage and advise on repairs etc, which was a great boost to the local community. It was good to see some aid getting through.
People on the street are getting more and more upset that the international community ( as I have mentioned earlier) are still not wholly aware of what has happened here, it is only people like famous footballer Jermaine Defoe whom has an uncle missing that seem to be highlighting the situation, I hope this is not correct but that is the feeling of the local people here.
The good thing is the St Lucian people are extremely resilient and a lot of good messages are going out about pulling together to rebuild the country which is fantastic considering what a lot of us have gone through - long may it continue. Distinct lack of politicians visiting their own communities - we have seen no one here, although most have visited Soufriere and Fond St Jacques ( the worst hit areas).
Virgin Atlantic are bringing in freight free of charge ( water purifiers etc) for the Rotary Club, please other airlines consider doing the same if you are not already doing so.
Bye for now,
Sue
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- Tomas and Haiti
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2010 10:59:00 -0400
|
Not a day for dwelling on our problems - Tomas is up to a Cat 1
Hurricane impacting on Haiti right now. The storm seems to be steering
through the Windward passage between Haiti and Cuba, thankfully not a
direct landfall. However, from the met reports the majority of
rainfall will be from the east of Tomas, impacting on the West of
Haiti but not necessarily on the main areas devastated by the
earthquake. However, water will be running down mountainsides for some
time, so even when Tomas has passed, flooding dangers will remain.
It's inevitable the hurricane will severely impact Haiti, but nature
may still spare the country the worst. We all need to hope that
rainfall, intensity and direction are for the better not the worse.
Chris Jenkins
www.zaravillas.com
www.facebook.com/zaravillas
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- Progress and rain
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 09:15:17 -0400
|
Good news today in that Soufriere, still only accessible by boat, now
has some power. We all complain about the cost of power here but there
is no doubt our now privatised power company, LUCELEC, does a great
job in maintaining the grid and effecting repairs. So congratulations
to them and all their employees.
We are currently getting heavy showers in the North and as long as
they remain periodic that is good as there is no mains water here so
everyone is trying to collect rainwater. Too much rain though and the
repair efforts will be badly disrupted. Difficult to tell from the
satellite images how the weather will fare over the next 48 hours. No
news of further fatalities that I've seen so the death toll remains at
14. Water is going to be our big problem for some time and we are all
hoping to avoid the health problems that can arise as a result.
Now we have to hope that Tomas steers through the channel between Cuba
and Haiti rather than directly over Haiti.
Chris Jenkins
www.zaravillas.com
www.facebook.com/zaravillas
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- Thursday 4th November - Update from Marigot.
|
- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 08:36:39 -0400
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|
Thursday's Update.
Weather is showery today and breezy, but nothing unusual. The expected weak tropical wave did not really affect us at all.
Power has been restored to Soufriere town, well done to Lucelec, the local electricity company 90% of the island now has power.
Appeals are going out for food, clothing and diapers, lots of private boats with donations are heading down to Soufriere with these supplies. It seems the international community is finally waking up to what has happened here, I was pleased to see that CNN spoke about it last night.
The water emergency has been declared as the dam has still not been accessed but Lucelec and Wasco ( the water company) have assessed the situation by helicopter and will begin work as soon as they can get there via road. People are being asked to be conservative with their water consumption and there has even been talk of shipping in water from Dominica. My local shop has run out of bottled water but they assure me that supplies will be available today.
Airports are open and things are slowly beginning to get better, the North of the Island particularly is running OK, its the South that has the brunt of the problems.
I cant say how much I have been impressed with the general public here, everyone regardless of race or status are pulling together with the aim of getting back to normal. It will be a long process but we will get there!
Have a good day - Sue
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- Lucelec
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- By The Edge Restaurant <edgerestaurant at gmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 07:18:17 -0400
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|
They have done it again! Just heard on the radio that Lucelec and their sub contractors have been able to restore power in many areas in and around Soufriere. Also many other remote areas in other parts of the island have got their power back. I think they are doing a remarkable job.
Now we are waiting for water. That is a really big problem as they still have not been able to reach the dam on the ground due to the road there being collapsed or blocked by many landslides. The John Compton Dam also called the Roseau Dam is supplying the whole north of the island with water. They are trying to get a temporary water supply from other catchment areas until the dam is up and running again but that will be a very limited supply.
Also the east coast road linking the north to the south is now motorable but for emergency vehicles only, at this time.
Annika
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- Transfers to Hewanorra
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- By The Edge Restaurant <edgerestaurant at gmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 06:49:01 -0400
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|
I do not know if LIAT operate any shuttles today between GFL Charles and Hewanorra but in any case you have to call them, not go online as there seem to be no info there. I called yesterday out to the airport and they were then taking bookings for yesterday´s shuttle flights. They have a lot of different numbers so I recommend to call out to the GFL Charles airport to get info if you need to travel down to Hewanorra to catch a flight.
The number is (+1 758) 452 23 48
There is also the possibility to travel by sea. See below info from SLHTA.
Kindly, note the following additional options for transfers by sea are available from the following yacht charters, contact details are provided below:
Ø Wave Riders, Mrs. Suite, Mobile: 485 1299
Ø Island Lady Charter, Mr. Vialva, Mobile: 461 6216
Annika
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- The big cleanup
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2010 10:29:39 -0400
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|
Weather is showery today, but luckily only light showers so at the moment there is no further risk of landslides. Cleaning up has begun and Soufriere is starting to receive the aid it so badly needs.The French Navy are helping out by airlifting in supplies and the British Army arrived today to begin work with medical assistance and cleaning up. The road between Choiseul and Soufriere through sheer hard manual work has been cleared so the town is not so cut off.
Communications are improving all the time and we now have better cell phone coverage, which is helping a lot. The prime minister had declared a state of emergency but the main worry now is water, the dam has still not been accessed and supplies are going to be off for at least 3 weeks. People are being urged to be careful with what water they do have and to try and prevent the spread of disease by washing hands when they can and boiling water before consumption.
We are all working hard helping each other, there is a great community spirit here, but frustration that the international community do not seem to know what is going on, I am hoping that this situation will improve now communications are being restored.
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- Airports
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- By The Edge Restaurant <edgerestaurant at gmail.com>
- Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2010 06:41:50 -0400
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Just commenting on Chris´s earlier post about the airports. Both GFL Charles and Hewanorra airport is open for traffic and yesterday both Virgin Atlantic and British Airways landed at Hewanorra and later departed with people that had been shuttled by LIAT from the northern airport. Also American Eagle have three additional flights today November 3rd to the one daily out of GFL Charles. Please see below info from SLHTA with numbers to call the different airlines to get information how and when to get in or out of St Lucia.
" The shuttle service from GFL to HIA is rather limited and is being operated by LIAT. The cost of the LIAT shuttle is US$ 50 per person each way and can be purchased via LIAT’s website (www.liatairline.com) like any other LIAT ticket."
"Out of an abundance of caution, we wish to reiterate SLASPA’s plea to ask your guests to please call the various airlines before heading out to the airport to ascertain their respective schedules and availability. Please also call the airlines directly to confirm their respective policies on voluntary cancellation/no shows etc."
The toll free numbers, which can be dialled from St.Lucia, for the various airlines are as follows:
Ø American Airlines 1 800 433 7300
Ø British Airways 1 800 AIRWAYS
Ø Virgin 1 800 862 8621
Ø Jet Blue 1 800 538 2583
Ø Delta 1 800 241 4141
Ø US Airways 1 800 428 4322
Ø Air Canada 1 888 247 2262
Ø West Jet 1 888 WESTJET
Annika
The Edge Restaurant Bar & Sushi
Harmony Suites Hotel Flamboyant Drive Rodney Bay Village St Lucia W.I. T: +1 758 450-EDGE (3343) E: edgerestaurant at gmail.com
www.edge-restaurant.com www.eurobbean.com
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- Flew to St. Vincent and back today...
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- By "Christopher Kessell" <kessellc at candw.lc>
- Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2010 00:48:56 -0400
|
I
flew down to St. Vincent this morning and as I expected George Charles Airport
was chock a block with people trying to catch flights out. I spent an hour
checking in, then getting in line for immigration and then straight out to the
gate. Never got a chance to sit down due to the volume of people....
I
spoke to an American couple who were catching a LIAT flight to St. Martin, they
had taken the initiative to book the flight themselves all the way back to the
US, as Delta their original carrier was not taking any responsibility in
informing them of when they might be able to leave as they were supposed to fly
out this past Sunday.
There
has been a lot of talk at times about closing George Charles Airport as it is
not economic to operate two airports in an island the size of St. Lucia; but
what a godsend it has been!
I
was told by a LIAT employee in St. Vincent that LIAT is ferrying people between
the two airports which would have to mean that Hewanorra is partially open but
obviously if this is true then it can only handle the small regional airlines
like LIAT which fly the Dash 8.
When
I walked down to the gate I noticed that there was a high water mark at least
12" above the ground on the barrier between the two walkways that skirt
the airport apron! They did well to get the George Charles airport open as
quickly as they did.
From
the air I could see some of the effects that the hurricane had on the rivers
where they pass through the villages. I have attached a few pictures that I
took, due to the early morning sun on that side of the aircraft the picture
quality is not so good.
St.
Vincent was not nearly as affected from what I saw but as I was in the South of
the Island, I would have expected the damage to be worse in the North closer to
the track that Tomas took.
Chris
Kessell
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- mess mess mess
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- By "Frans van Santbrink" <j69ds at candw.lc>
- Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 21:45:42 -0400
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Watched the NEMO footage and omg what a mess. It is gonna take a lot of effort to get it all right again, Soufriere, Fond St Jacques is in a mess. To hear live calls of people looking for family and friends and news listen here on Radio Helen Fm http://www.htsstlucia.com/Radio_100/live_radio.htm Earlier I was in Rodney Bay area and was looking at how people are going about their regular stuff going to work etc. and just a mere 25 miles down the road is mega devastation with people not even sure where their next meal is coming from.. it is just amazing. It is going to take us ALL together to get thing back in order. My prayers are with the people in the south. And hats of to Lucelec they are really doing a great job getting power back up, likewise Digicel their sytem has been up n running right throughout. A great big up to all the people working to get the roads cleared, people saved, getting supplies to the needy and so forth. God Bless, Frans van Santbrink Radio : 146.940 (-0.600) Web : Http://frans.dageekz.com |
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- Joint statement
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- By The Edge Restaurant <edgerestaurant at gmail.com>
- Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 13:12:23 -0400
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|
Please see below joint statement by the Saint Lucia Tourist Board and the Hotel & Tourism Association.
Joint
Statement by the Saint Lucia Tourist Board and the Hotel & Tourism
Association
Saint Lucia Tourism Update on Hurricane Tomas
Saint Lucia (November 2, 2010) – Hurricane Tomas battered Saint Lucia from midday Saturday,
October 30th to the wee hours of Sunday October 31st. The
Category 1 storm packed sustained winds and heavy rain, which resulted in
fallen trees, infrastructural damage to buildings, damage to major roads
consequentially restricting access to various areas and temporary loss of
utility services across the island.
Damage to
the hotel plant was limited mainly to loss of landscaping and flooding to
accommodations although a few hotels reported some structural damage. A
comprehensive clean up exercise and restoration of critical infrastructure is
underway and it is estimated that the country and its vital tourism industry
will be back to normalcy by Friday November 12th, at which time the
island will be in a position to welcome all visitors in its usual legendary
fashion.
The
Government of Saint Lucia is committed to the practice of responsible tourism
and in that respect wishes to ensure the utmost safety and welfare of visitors
and citizens. In collaboration with the private sector, every effort is
being made to ensure the smooth departure of visitors who wish to leave by
facilitating additional airlift at both airports as well as transfers between the
airports. Visitors wishing to remain on island will continue to be taken care
of.
Cruise
ships will resume calls to the island on November 7th.
An
update on the island’s progress will be sent out in 48 hours. Please contact the Saint Lucia Tourist Board’s office
closest to you,
Head Office: 758-452-4094; UK: 207-341-7002; USA:
1-800-456-3984 and Canada:
416-519-5642
Media Contacts:
Melissa Rubin/Molly Mesnard
Redpoint Marketing PR, Inc.
(212) 229-0119
rubin at redpointpr.com
mesnard at redpointpr.com
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- Sunny today, but tropical wave on its way
|
- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 09:35:52 -0400
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|
Woke up to sunshine this morning, at least it gives the ground time to dry out. Read that there is a Tropical Wave on its way which is due to pass over tomorrow, hope there is not too much rain as the ground is still saturated and I am afraid this could cause more landslides.
Reports that Soufriere is still only accessible by water and Hewanorra airport is still closed. Still no water, unconfirmed reports state that the pipes from the dam are all damaged and we are unlikely to get water for at least 3 weeks, all the shops seem to be running out of food in this area, although the larger supermarkets in Castries have stock.
Most people are just wandering around and seem to be waiting for things to be sorted out as most roads are impassable it is difficult to get around/ in to work etc. Road to the south on the west coast has lots of landslides so lots of communities are cut off.
Will update more as soon as I know what is happening with the Tropical Wave.
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- Fwd: link for aerial footage of St Lucia post Tomas
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- By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
- Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 21:00:59 -0700
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Matthew Watters forwarded me the following link, showing an aerial tour by HTS:
--
Gert van Dijken
Caribbean Hurricane Network
http://stormcarib.com
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- Aftermath of Hurricane Tomas
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- By Susan Beckwith <suebeckwith123 at gmail.com>
- Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 19:29:51 -0400
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|
Weather is now clear with the odd shower, went out today to view the devastation a day after hurricane Tomas passed over, several fishing boats were sunk in Marigot Bay, purely because of the excessive amount of rainfall that came with the storm. Met a fisherman from Soufriere whom came up on a friends boat to collect his, he told me that the town is cut off completely by road the only access is by boat, there is no power and no water. He told me that 12 people had lost their lives to landslides and the road to the hospital was impassable, so the hospital had closed. Its seems that Canaries and Vieux Fort are in the same situation. Marigot is OK, just a couple of houses that have succumbed to landslides, no loss of life.
The famous beach has a couple of palm trees down and lots of debris, boats were coming in from Martinque for fuel, which is now in short supply. Most people feel lucky that they still have their homes. Roseau Valley, the main agricultural area for bananas was flooded, but the water has now abated, went out to sea on a boat today to view the island from the water, lots of bananas down and huge trees in the sea, but nothing too unusual.
There is a lot of community spirit here and now the power is back on it is just a case of clearing up. The local phone providers have given all customers free credit so that they can try and get in touch with loved ones, however service is very intermittent.
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- Monday after Tomas...
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- By "Christopher Kessell" <kessellc at candw.lc>
- Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 19:06:47 -0400
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DBS
Television has news coverage starting in a few minutes that can be watched
liver here on the internet:
http://www.dbstelevision.com/live.php
Chris
Kessell
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- Update
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- By Frans Van Santbrink <FransJr at dageekz.com>
- Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 15:29:51 -0400
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Damage to a house in cacao due to slide...
Frans Van Santbrink,
Mobile: 758 7153129
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- After Tomas
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- By Christopher Jenkins <chrissjuk at aol.com>
- Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 15:24:42 -0400
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| Some stunning photos, over 100, of the impact of Tomas. You don't need an account to view this link, which is from a facebook page:
No internet until this afternoon since Saturday - no kind of problem compared to many here. But I thought the damn storm would never end, 10 am Saturday to 8 am Sunday. The power was bad enough, the rain was intense especially on Saturday night and then it went on and on and on. Other have already listed the impact on roads and buildings. Right now we're waiting to here the status of the main dam and water reservoir. Tomas may have a big bite in its tail if this is damaged and interrupts supply.
Tomas is a disaster for St Lucia and the country really does need all the help and aid it can get.
Just to make sure we can't relax, there is another system building up close to the same latitude Tomas started out.
Plenty of weather still out there, keep your mops sharpened!!
From the NHC today:
A THIRD AND MORE ENERGETIC SURFACE TROUGH IS
ANALYZED FROM 13N49W TO 7N52W. THIS TROUGH IS STILL EMBEDDED IN
THE ITCZ. HOWEVER...VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY COMBINED WITH LOW
LEVEL DERIVED WINDS INDICATE WEAK CYCLONIC CURVATURE ALONG THE
TROUGH AXIS. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 7N TO 12N
BETWEEN 47W AND 55W. THIS AREA OF CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO
REACH THE ISLAND OF BARBADOS IN THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
Chris Jenkins www.zaravillas.com www.facebook.com/zaravillas
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- Update
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- By Frans Van Santbrink <FransJr at dageekz.com>
- Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 13:47:11 -0400
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Photo of slide between cacao n geneau. Abt 5 houses went down there..
Frans Van Santbrink,
Mobile: 758 7153129
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- Monday after Tomas...
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- By "Christopher Kessell" <kessellc at candw.lc>
- Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 12:06:22 -0400
|
Well the phone went dead and along with it my internet
but both came back to life last night. Power has been restored to much of Cap
Estate in the North, unfortunately for some reason not in my area so I am still
on generator power.
Yesterday I went down to the boatyard and marina to check
out if they had any damage there. Thankfully they have not had any problems at
the boat yard with all boats upright and in good shape. Only one yachts genoa
unfurled at the height of the storm and was blown to shreds.
A number of smaller powerboats filled up with rain water
and sank! The met office reported that there was close to half a meter of
rainfall recorded for the duration of the hurricane!!!
Got up early this morning and gathered up all my fuel
containers and trekked down to the gas station and got in line with about 20
other cars around 6:30 am! Apparently there was an incident with a gun at one
of the other stations this morning so they stopped pumping gas until they got
police protection and I finally got gas and diesel around 7:30....
The government appears to be handling the crisis reasonably
well and work is progressing rapidly on restoring the roads and bridges where
they can. To this end the Choc bridge which had most of the hard core material
that was beneath the tarmac washed out which left a fairly deep chasm has been
temporarily filled in to allow vehicles to pass. The same thing occurred at the
Bois d'Orange bridge but apparently the large corrugated pipes that let the
water pass have been damaged and although they can temporarily fill in the gaps
between the concrete side walls to get it open, this bridge will have to be
completely rebuilt unlike the one at Choc.
They will cut a bypass road which will skirt the river
and join up with the Corinthe bypass which then won't require the use of the
bridge. So hopefully the highway will be completely reopened by this
afternoon....
I went to Castries Yesterday via the mountain pass which
goes to the top of Babaneau and where the road goes up to Plateau was almost
impassable with a huge traffic jam as rear wheel drive vehicles could not get
enough traction to climb the steep mud covered road... It was a nightmare and
some poor soul had to reverse back down and lost control which caused the
vehicle to end on its side against someone's house!
There are confirmed reports of at least three deaths in
Soufriere and there are probably more. Also apparently a tourist driving a car
that got washed off a road has died. Getting back to Soufriere, the roads into
the village are badly damaged and you can only walk out or take a boat. It
could take weeks for the roads to be repaired due to the landslides that not
only cover the road in places but also caused sections of it to fall down the
sides of the mountain...
Lucelec has been doing a good job at restoring power
especially considering that the Union Substation was underwater with 4' of
water throughout the complex. They have been diverting power using the Castries
and the Cul de Sac substations until they can clean up and replace the water
damaged equipment there.
Of the two airports, George Charles in the North is open
but how reliable the air services in is a big question mark. I'm supposed to be
in St. Vincent for the day tomorrow and I can't get through to LIAT to find out
if I will be able to fly....
I have attached some pictures I took and you can see a
video I shot here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeHQLwzi8Xc
All the best,
Chris Kessell
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- Update
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- By The Edge Restaurant <edgerestaurant at gmail.com>
- Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 09:49:18 -0400
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|
Well done Lucelec! From last night power is restored in and around Rodney Bay, in some other areas in the north and most of the city of Castries.
PM says schools and businesses would remain closed today. Schools, businesses and home owners still need to assess damage and clean up and also the two collapsed bridges on the main road connecting the north with Castries with many commuters every day needs to be repaired.
GFL Charles (Vigie) Airport in the north is open but people need to call their airlines to find out the schedules.
Apparently things are bad in and around Soufriere area. Roads are cut off to that part of the island. Reports of landslides with roads and houses going with them and of casualties is starting to come in.
Annika
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- Update
|
- By Frans Van Santbrink <j69ds at candw.lc>
- Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 09:26:53 -0400
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Still no power at home but in town is on, here at supermarket charging phones and laptop... In town is a mess wth mud all over the place, no gasoline available.. Going back home in a while...
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- More pictures
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- By Mike Davis <mdavisslu2010 at hotmail.com>
- Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 17:37:31 +0000
|
|
The reports of the Sans Souci Bridge collapsing prove to be false so that's good news.
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- Hurricane Tomas in St. Lucia
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- By Mike Davis <mdavisslu2010 at hotmail.com>
- Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 17:14:13 +0000
|
Reports of widespread destruction in St. Lucia are starting to come through this morning. I didn't experience the storm first hand since I am out of St. Lucia at present but some friends have sent be some pictures of the many bridges which have collapsed totally crashing the island's road network and other pictures of damage done. Reports indicate that flooding was very severe and wind damage is also significant especially in the south of the island. The Hewanorra International Airport reported sustained winds of at least 92mph with much higher gusts at 5:30pm yesterday afternoon as the eyewall passed through and then the second half of the hurricane unleashed a massive deluge on St. Lucia not experienced on St. Lucian soil in recent memory. Heavy and torrentail rain accompanied by hurricane force wind gusts continued ceaselessly for about 10 hours from about 5pm yesterday on top of the moderate and occasionally heavy rain from the preceding 12 hours resulting in the major flooding experienced. Many roofs have been blown off, schools, hospitals, churches and homes have been damaged and some destroyed. Lots of trees down. Islandwide power outage. Powerlines, poles and transformers down in some areas. Unconfirmed reports of missing people and even loss of life. The bridges at Bois d'Orange and Choc along the Castries/Gros Islet highway (shown below) have been destroyed. I was also told that the bridge at Marchand along the Castries river collapsed this morning and also numerous reports that the Sans Souci bridge in the city of Castries collapsed (unconfirmed). More info will be made available when it arrives.
Posted are pictures of the bridges at Bois d'Orange and Choc as well as other pictures from the districts of Castries and Gros Islet
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This album has 1 photo and will be available on SkyDrive until 01/29/2011.
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- Tomas
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- By Mike Davis <mdavisslu2010 at hotmail.com>
- Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 16:34:04 +0000
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Reports of widespread destruction in St. Lucia are starting to come through this morning. I didn't experience the storm first hand since I am out of St. Lucia at present but some friends have sent be some pictures of the many bridges which have collapsed totally crashing the island's road network and other pictures of damage done. Reports indicate that flooding was very severe and wind damage is also significant especially in the south of the island. The Hewanorra International Airport reported sustained winds of at least 92mph with much higher gusts at 5:30pm yesterday afternoon as the eyewall passed through and then the second half of the hurricane unleashed a massive deluge on St. Lucia not experienced on St. Lucian soil in recent memory. Heavy and torrentail rain accompanied by hurricane force wind gusts continued ceaselessly for about 10 hours from about 5pm yesterday on top of the moderate and occasionally heavy rain from the preceding 12 hours resulting in the major flooding experienced. Many roofs have been blown off, schools, hospitals, churches and homes have been damaged and some destroyed. Lots of trees down. Islandwide power outage. Powerlines, poles and transformers down in some areas. Unconfirmed reports of missing people and even loss of life. The bridges at Bois d'Orange and Choc along the Castries/Gros Islet highway (shown below) have been destroyed. I was also told that the bridge at Marchand along the Castries river collapsed this morning and also numerous reports that the Sans Souci bridge in the city of Castries collapsed (unconfirmed). More info will be made available when it arrives.
Posted are pictures of the bridges at Bois d'Orange and Choc as well as other pictures from the districts of Castries and Gros Islet
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Older reports from St.Lucia have been moved to another page.
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