• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2016 13:44:19 -0400

So glad I'm not flying between St Thomas and San Juan, the waterfalls are 
flowing in driveway again, very loudly.
https://www.wunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?ID=JUA&lat=18.35000038&lon=-64.93333435&label=Saint%20Thomas%2c%20VI

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2016 21:24:17 -0400

We are on overload....
https://www.wunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?ID=JUA&lat=18.35000038&lon=-64.93333435&label=Saint%20Thomas%2c%20VI

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2016 19:41:15 -0400

North side of St Thomas late afternoon today. Major run off. Our Ag Fair
has been cancelled. We are totally saturated. Waterfall still running down
our gut. We have full cisterns and hope for more sun for the solar panels
tomorrow. Folks high up on the hills have been in the clouds for a while. 

>> 
>> 

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2016 13:12:16 -0400

A few minutes from last post and the waterfall is roaring and it is windy ,
Please be careful driving west, it may be calm where you are but the runoff
is huge.

Attachment: IMG_0386.MOV
Description: QuickTime movie

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2016 13:00:30 -0400

We have our Ag Fair weekend on UVI grounds near airport. Rain has been coming
straight down at the airport hangar and you can assume the fairground is 
saturated.
A real disappointment for all of those that worked so hard to put the event
together.

Here on the home front on West End , north side of road, we have our usual
waterfalls in driveway over retaining wall, pool is overflowing and we live off 
the grid. During rainy season and dark days we use generator back up to
top off the battery bank. Rainy  season and end of year shorter days 
challenges consumption conservation. 

It is raining heavier now with some wind. Please stay put, do not drive in this.
Let us know how it is going for you. 

Stay safe and dry. 

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2016 11:09:51 -0400

We are off grid, so wifi going down ,do not drive to the west end ,roads are 
underwater, just drove up blackpoint hill, 

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2016 08:07:41 -0400

From the northwest side of St Thomas, winter is here !

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2016 20:57:35 -0400

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2016 20:40:01 -0400

Cool halo, thanks Shelly

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2016 20:35:43 -0400

We planted these pine trees at 6 ft after they served our potted decorated 
holidays years ago. They now range from 30 to 40'ft. What a gorgeous night. We 
will wear 
our sunglasses tonight 😎we are so lucky to live in the islands where people
show respect and love everyday. We are VI NICE tonight. 
> 

> 
> 

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2016 19:59:34 -0400

West end  of St  Thomas ...wow , thanks Jill for the picture.

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2016 08:04:11 -0400

4:30 am barking wake up to thunder right over our heads and plenty of rain.
Pool is topped . Cistern is way up. Time for a little clean up before next 
round.
The coming monsoon trough from the southern islands looks ominous.
Clean up your drainage areas and get the mops ready. It must be October.

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2016 16:25:13 -0400

Very heavy rain, gusts to 32mph, SW to NE, temps dropping to 73  degrees outer
deck, COLD ! We are under a flood watch. Today is a federal holiday and 
good news children are not in school buses today. Stay safe and dry and please 
don't drive in this. What is the news from downtown and St. John? BVI? 

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2016 13:34:00 -0400

No rain today yet. Seas are still building and local report says 14-17 ft. Good 
day
to stay on land. Winds gusting at airport near 20 mph 88 degrees F .

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2016 07:51:43 -0400

We had a few rain bands last night. Temperature dropped 20 degrees in 
4 hrs late day yesterday. Had some thunder barking around 9 pm and then 
a quiet night. 

It is gray and a little gusty, and cooler, hoping for some solar gain today
to beef up batteries. Seas look rough here on the Atlantic. Good to
hear marine interests found safety. 

Take care and let us know your island conditions please. 

Jane Higgins, Fortuna, 
Northwest side of St Thomas 

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 18:21:58 -0400

First raindrops now. Really PINK  Sky. ....be safe.

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 14:12:38 -0400

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2016 16:59:25 -0400

We are having gusting winds from 29-41 mph from the east straight down the 
runway
in St Thomas today. Spirit flight diverted to San Juan. The pilots are earning 
their
pay today. 

We have sideways showers coming and going. Not much solar collection for our 
off the grid jungle hut here on the Northwest side. We will run the generator 
for abit
to top off the batteries. 

It is cool....now 73 degrees. Awesome.

It looks like we are in the canyon between a system splitting off to Northwest 
and southwest . Assuming St John is getting plenty of moisture. 

Stay safe and dry. And yes, we remember Luis 21 years ago as our first 
hurricane 
experience . Little did we know what was coming 10 days later. 

Is ignorance bliss ? 

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2016 14:39:14 -0400

From the aviator at Cyril King Airport , St Thomas, conditions going downhill.
AA usually takes off to the East. This picture is taken looking  to the East .
Good reason to take off to the West. 
> 
> American Airlines taking off to the west
> 

> 
> 

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2016 12:06:27 -0400

What was a sunny  blue sky ......now very dark and raining ! Yes....rain....
fingers crossed all stays calm. Those northwest of us pay attention
Please

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2016 08:55:10 -0400

Reports of  blue sky at the airport right now (southwest side of island) with
a huge wall of rain towards the Southwest. 99L now looks like the lower
half of front we saw coming yesterday, buffing up to be something stronger
just south of us. 

We live off the grid and it is the cloudy days that make us pay attention
to solar collection versus power consumption. We will see if we need to
use the generator to beef up the battery bank or hope that daylight alone
between the showers will be enough. 

We had enough rain over night to download the auxiliary cistern . More
gifts from nature. We are 81 degrees on the outer deck compare to 93 
yesterday at this time. 

Grateful for the gifts of coolness and rain. 

Stay safe and dry. Let us know how it goes for you.

Jane Higgins , facing the calm Atlantic on the Northwest side of St Thomas 

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2016 09:59:50 -0400

The aviator said last night when the nats covered the lit up surfaces, 
"looks like some weather coming" . Sure enough. Real temp on outer 
deck before 10 am ,right now is 94 with humidity making it feel 
like 107, only 84 in the house ! Breezy at tree top level, the Atlantic
side looks calm . 

You can feel the weather being shoved into the blob to the south and east
of us. St Thomas has had a cruise ship cancellation today and one tomorrow.
This is hard to take in the wake of a super slow summer. We can't blame 
the ships though, better to stay out of the way. 

Be  safe and let us know what you are feeling down island. 

Jane Higgins , Fortuna. The Northwest side of St Thomas
jhigginswear at islands.vi

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2016 12:20:53 -0400

We have been getting rain on and off all morning. Then some  clearing and
now without local radar working I would suggest the storm has backed up. 

Major cracking right over our heads and huge downpour. Very dark . 
We are under flood advisory til 1 pm. 

Thanks to StormCarib we can see what is happening.

Please no driving. The thunder jackets are on. 

Stay safe. Temp had dropped to 75. 

West end St Thomas. 

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2016 17:24:42 -0400

We are getting it now. Lots of rain and thunder barking.

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2016 09:54:07 -0400

It is very windy, gusts to 44 mph, some iguanas in the tree tops looking for 
warm .

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2016 09:46:50 -0400

After many anxious looks thru allot of weather data last night we 
finally slept . The first round of lightning, thunder, strong 
intermittent downpours started around 4 am. Lots of barking at
the boomers lasted thru dawn. Steel grey skies, 
with winds gusting to 44mph, and steady around 16 mph, make the 
rain more like car wash spitting now. We are a cool 79 degrees .

Looks like we are in a storm sandwich. Don't mind being in the middle .
The 2nd round south of us looks like it could merge with north bluster
creating some mess south of the DR and onto Jamaica. 

This is the deep down in the gut wake up call for all of us. Muscle memory 
reactions to the sigh of the gusts, the whipping tree tops, the rattling 
doors is involuntary. Now we know the train is coming and we need to
clear the tracks. 

Let us know how it is going for you? 

From the gusty Northwest side of St Thomas in Fortuna.

Jane Higgins 

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2016 15:04:29 -0400

Just a few minutes ago,the blowing rain started and the rush into the 
cistern is money in the bank. Rest now,  Mister Water Mon.

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2016 12:19:52 -0400

The airport is reporting gusts from 16-31 mph. The seas are building here on 
The Northwest side of St Thomas in Fortuna on the Atlantic. Outer deck temp is 
92 with humidity feels like 102. Inside temp is 86 without a/c of course like 
most homes in the islands. We have not seen a drop yet. 

This morning we cleaned some drainage areas, checked the gutters and 
crossed our fingers for forecasted rain. We are so dry, looks like fall, with 
so many dead leaves in the air. 

The sheering winds from the northwest may blow it apart. This is a wake
up call, sea temps are high and the train is coming. Time to clean up our
act. 

Tonight is a long planned jazz concert in town, we are in hopes that the weather
holds off, but the need for rain may override all other plans. 

Let us know what  your current island experience is. 

Jane Higgins 
Fortuna, St Thomas , NorthWest Side 

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2016 09:14:59 -0400

At last rain ........!

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2016 10:33:15 -0400

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2016 09:56:37 -0400

After the long holiday celebrating Emancipation and Independence , rain enough 
to green us up.
The bees are back for a buzz and a drink. Thank you Mother Nature..
From the Northwest side of St Thomas facing the Atlantic. Grateful,Jane

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2016 06:30:32 -0400

We first heard rain around 2:30 am ,it may have started earlier. Allot of
lightening and thunder has followed and finally got us up before 6 am
to put the thunder jackets on the frantic dogs. It is cold, the outside temp
is showing 71. It has been raining on and off, steady, then pouring then
stopping. We are grateful for the moisture. This is a flashback to other
storms formed over our heads. We know this feeling. Local radar is 
out . Many thanks to Storm Carib for showing us the full picture. 

The lime trees are singing. 

Stay safe. Let us know how it is going in town Ronnie, please. 

From the growers in Fortuna, on the northwest side of St Thomas 
Atlantic side. 
Jane Higgins 
jhigginswear at islands.vi

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2016 08:52:38 -0400

• By Jane Higgins <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
• Date: Tue, 17 May 2016 08:13:59 -0400

Sunset was beyond the beyond last night from our deck. 
Pissarro skies. We are the lucky ones. 
> 

> 
>