- Updates from the Islands -

- - St.Croix (USVI) - -

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2018 00:17:11 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2018 00:15:25 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2018 21:17:43 -0700

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2018 23:22:54 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2018 23:58:16 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2018 22:51:34 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2018 23:51:00 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2018 22:24:21 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2018 22:18:03 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2018 23:06:05 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2018 00:29:20 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2018 20:55:45 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2018 20:53:20 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:31:16 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2018 19:30:51 -0700

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2018 19:07:47 -0700

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2018 11:23:37 +0900

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2018 21:50:02 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2018 23:28:14 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2018 21:16:53 -0700

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2018 20:25:50 -0700

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2018 19:59:14 -0700

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2018 19:40:15 -0700

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2018 18:29:55 -0700

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2018 20:29:35 -0700

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2018 19:22:23 -0700

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2018 22:47:16 -0400

Sept. 21- Of the four systems in the Atlantic, three of them are numbered 
Invests 99L, 98L, and 97L. The one of concern for us is 
getting better organized just off the coast of Africa-Invest 99L! According to 
The Weather Channel, we have to monitor this one. The one ahead of it, 97L 
should not be underestimated.
Unless the Saharan dust obliterates them we can have a lot to deal with in the 
next couple of weeks.i occasionally get mail from followers of StormCarib 
asking what the weather will be like when they come down. I remind them we’re 
in the hurricane season and they should check if anything is in the area. 
Definitely, this is the time to monitor these two systems heading this way 
before making any plans. Thank you for reading these updates. Thank you, those 
who have come to visit. May God bless you and us all,

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2018 23:06:40 -0400

Sept. 20 - The Atlantic is getting active again, but there’s a lot of Saharan 
dust. Hopefully we’re only going to get rain. This morning we went to Shoys 
beach. We really felt as if we were in paradise. In my mind was the thought 
that the hurricane season was still in full swing and there was always the 
imminent threat of another hurricane. The system closest to the east coast is 
curving towards the same area just hit by FLORENCE. It’s  something to monitor. 
Likewise in our case. We have to hope that none of these systems are going to 
develop. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2018 23:00:00 -0400

Sept. 19 - At this time last year Hurricane Maria raged around us with mounting 
fury. My daughter and I stepped out in the hall where we have an 
“inside/outside” stairway. We could see the hanging lamp above in what we call 
the “opera box”. It blew away with a previous storm, found it half  way down 
the slope.The house tremble; it was vibrating as if the storm was trying to rip 
it apart!! Once back inside the “bunker “, it was quieter. My husband was 
dozing in the rocking chair and missed  the excitement in the hallway. We were 
all exhausted, so we turned in. I slept all that night. The others heard things 
banging and crashing outside. My daughter  thought someone was dragging around 
the furniture upstairs. Her bedroom shutter blew off and she became more aware 
of the furious activity outside. Until another hurricane replaces MARIA, we 
shall always remember that night.
Now, to our east more south, moving up towards us is the yellow X, which is now 
designated as Invest 97L.  We are counting on the Saharan dust to stifle it. 
Today was a foggy day, that’s how much dust was around. Nevertheless,  we had 
lightning and thunder in the evening with some rain showers. around. We watch 
and pray. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2018 22:50:53 -0400

Sept. 18 - One year ago it was Monday. I decided to visit a relative who was 
bedridden and had a birthday the next day. I was afraid I would not be able to 
leave the house as heavy rain was in the forecast from early in the next 
morning. Good thing I did! The next day Hurricane MARIA was making it’s way 
toward us. It was getting really wild out there. We secured everything as best 
we could upstairs and went downstairs. It’s like a bunker there. I was in touch 
with Gert by WhatsUp  He wanted to know where we were located. Ground Zero was 
West End. The island is only 82 sq miles, so with such a monster it swallowed 
up the rest of the island easily. There we were listening to the radio and 
checking and sending mail for as long as we could..We received many emails from 
concerned StormCarib followers. They wished us well and were praying for us. 
That was so nice. On hearing that the worst part of the storm was going to 
arrive between 11pm and 4 a.m. we decided to turn in for the night before 11. I 
took the sofa with the puppy on a leash near me. I woke up at 4:15. I could not 
believe it!  I slept through my first impacting hurricane! It continued raging 
for several hours more. What a long 24 hrs.! We hope and pray we don’t have to 
go through that again. Thank God for life, may He bless us all.

Isabel

The Atlantic Weather Outlook  
on NOAA NOW shows an area of concern marked with a yellow X.
We have to keep an eye on that !

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2018 22:34:15 -0400

Sept. 17-We are getting occasional downpours from ISAAC like the one this 
morning and tonight. Another wave from the Atlantic is expected Wednesday 
through Thursday. We can expect wet weather on and off, but in between we have 
the beautiful blue sky and clouds designing patterns. We are truly blessed to 
have such awesome things to behold all the time. May God bless everyone in the 
world suffering from the hurricanes this season. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2018 22:45:38 -0400

Sept. 16 - All is quiet in the Atlantic, that is, except perhaps for JOYCE, 
which is looping back down. Where does she think she’s going!! There’s an 
elongated trough crossing the Atlantic with 
the sole purpose of bringing rain.
So be it, as long as there are no strings ( Lows) attached. The historic rain 
continues with FLORENCE and is projected to continue up the coast. Eighteen 
people have died so far. Let’s hope that after this we will not be having any 
more storms. Nevertheless, we have to remain prepared. The season runs until 
Nov. 30th. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sunday’s (West) sunrise glow 

Sunrise glow to the east

ISAAC’s evening clouds

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2018 22:00:26 -0400

Sept.15 - We have been seeing 
flashes of lightning coming from the North, towards St. Thomas, but the 
remnants of ISAAC are in the middle of the Caribbean. It is trying to 
regenerate. It might very well do that. I spoke with a friend in North Carolina 
who talked about strong, gusty winds and heavy rain. They had a 6 hr power 
outage, otherwise it’s not too bad. They are the lucky ones. Other areas are 
getting rain by the feet.Many rescues have been made.A horrendous scenario! The 
Saharan dust has been invading the Tropical Atlantic again. That may keep 
storms from developing. There’s an area of disturbed weather in the far eastern 
Atlantic 
which is currently being suppressed by the dust. Good! We still have the rest 
of Sept and the second hurricane peak next month to go through. Hope it will be 
dusty and hurricane free. May God bless us all.

 Isabel

ISAAC’s trailing clouds

MARIA’s uprooted blooming 
Pink Poui; normal height 75’.

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2018 20:31:11 -0400

 Sept. 14- Thanks for being so gentle this time around. Apparently, six years 
ago you killed 19 in Haiti, and terrorized the Gulf Coast. This time around, 
not so. Last night considering the distance, we had some strong wind gusts, and 
some spurts of rain. The real RAIN began in earnest this morning, just when 
everyone was getting ready for school and work. It got so bad that most schools 
closed early, especially with flooding caused by the heavy rain; the sun peaked 
out to see how we were doing, it seems, then the rain would resume. We needed 
the rain, so we’re very thankful. Our thoughts and prayers are with the folks 
on the Southeast Coast. It had to have been a frightening experience. It would 
be great to know that Hurricane FLORENCE is the last headliner of the season. 
Ten name storms were predicted and with JOYCE it’s ten. Sounds too good to be 
true. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2018 21:17:21 -0400

Sept. 13 - Last night I posted the “closest point of approach” which had ISAAC 
AT 116.9 miles. This morning I bought The AVIS and was surprised that the NWS 
had it at 90 miles at closest approach passing St. Croix at 2 p.m. with gusty 
winds and heavy rain; my daughter responded from her job that her information 
was 80 miles and it would pass by later. Everyone I contacted had some other 
information. To top that off my husband and were watching an
update on YouTube and they had ISAAC causing havoc in the Caribbean, killing 19 
people in Haiti, and was heading to Louisiana like a KATRINA scenario! Well, it 
was mind boggling. My husband and I were completely baffled. What are they 
talking about! ISAAC had not even passed us as yet! Weird!! I just checked the 
CPA again to find out that ISAAC had moved further away. Now it will be passing 
us 192 miles away after midnight. We’ve had some sporadic showers, otherwise 
it’s very quiet. We shall see what, if anything, ISAAC brings. Our concern is 
for the folks on the East Coast. They have a nightmare in the wings,  which 
should last for days. Hope they will all be safe. May God bless them and us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2018 22:11:10 -0400

Sept. 12 - Based on the 36 hr position we should expect ISAAC to pass us 116.9 
miles to our south at 5:00 a.m. on Friday morning.-. According to Gert, the 
southern part of the storm is now where the action is, so we will probably not
feel much in the way of wind and rain. Sub Tropical Storm JOYCE  formed in the 
Atlantic above us.
There’s another low pressure system coming off the coast of Africa. Could that 
be the next name storm? Let’s pray for those being threatened by FLORENCE and 
ISAAC that everyone will be safe. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2018 22:56:55 -0400

Sept. 11 - There’s a lot of sorrow this day. We will always remember.
At the same time areas hit hard last year by MARIA are still not recovered and 
another blow by ISAAC is way too much. I pray for the safety of everyone in 
Dominica. As for us, we’re not out of the woods until ISAAC passes us by at 
least 100 miles. We still have to monitor the storm as it can 
wobble closer. At most we will probably get some squally weather before the end 
of the week. However, according to the European model, ISAAC will re-intensify 
to a major hurricane in the Caribbean and that would make a great difference 
for us as it will tend to move WNW. That’s why we have to be vigilant. May God 
bless us all.

Isabel

Morning ....

 Noon

Evening

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2018 23:59:16 -0400

Sept. 10 -ISAAC is now a hurricane. Good thing for everyone  it is a “small 
hurricane”. That is the description I heard. We hope it   stays that way. We 
are not exactly sure what to expect. We are on the north side of the island and 
ISAAC is traveling on the south side; the last I heard was some 115 miles away. 
Should we close shutters, or not? Perhaps it’s safer. I noticed that the cone 
of uncertainty had covered the DR, which previously was away from us as well. 
That means it must have moved up some. Tomorrow I will check the closest point 
of approach to see where we stand. Nevertheless, we are told to expect 
thunderstorms on Thursday already. I am  very concerned for the folks who were
impacted as the storm crossed the island chain. The photos show an 
eerie-looking, flat sea, earlier this evening, but it seemed to me that it 
might now be getting rough from the sound I heard outside. Let’s pray for each 
other, and definitely for the U.S. coast, which will be impacted by Cat 4 
FLORENCE! May God bless us all!

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2018 22:39:59 -0400

Sept. 9 - My grandson’s college is 20 miles from the coast in Baltimore and 
they have been alerted. Everyone is watching the progress of this potentially 
dangerous hurricane with much suspense. I assume many will have to be 
evacuated. We await ISAAC with equal intensity. The cone is quite large, 
extending from our south coast to South America.
Even though St. Croix stands out alone on the Caribbean side, it was totally 
ignored by the Weather man on YouTube who spoke only about Puerto Rico getting 
torrential rain. Helloooo! What about us. He could have been speaking too early 
because of the size of the cone. It can wobble anywhere to the right ( us ) or 
to the left.  So it’s a matter of be prepared, monitor, and hope for the best. 
We’ve had large storms moving so far to the south that we didn’t even get a 
drop of rain. We’ll see about ISAAC. It seems to be sticking to it’s path right 
through the middle. I hope everyone there is ready.May God bless them and us 
all. 

Isabel

The  afternoon sky

Night Jasmine- heavenly!

Sunset today

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2018 21:37:31 -0400

Sept. 8 - Well, folks! Is it “ Here we go again?” Or, can we dodge the bullet? 
Not judging from today’s AVIS and Dave’s update. It looks serious. So, on 
Monday we shall  stock up on water, fill up the gas tanks, fill a canister for 
the generator in case we need it,  apply the plastic to our missing windows. I 
just hope we don’t have a repeat performance. Thankfully, TS HELENE decided to 
go up perhaps to open sea and become a “fish storm”. That was supposed to be 
FLORENCE’s fate, but instead is becoming a major threat to the east coast!  I 
hope people there are paying attention. Let’s make sure we monitor TS ISAAC and 
take the necessary steps to stay safe. May God bless us all. 

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2018 22:16:17 -0400

Sept.7-Let’s hope these lovebirds split. We wouldn’t want a repeat performance 
of last year’s cousins- IRMA & MARIA!! We have already been alerted that the 
Northern Leeward Islands including us should monitor this system closely. The 
days have been very hot, what some folks still refer to as “hurricane weather”. 
 Hot, and mostly dry. Whatever rain has touched the ground is bringing out the 
trimmers. I am hoping that we can still get away without a storm this year. 
There are so many people who still have not been able to complete 
reconstruction/repairs! Just hope it’s not going to be a big CAT!! May God 
bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2018 22:05:15 -0400

Sept. 6-One year ago IRMA swiped us and went up to the Northern Leeward Islands 
causing tremendous destruction, almost wiping Barbuda off the globe! We sent 
everything we could to St. Thomas only to be without when we were impacted by 
MARIA 10 days later. What tough times we all had a year ago. Now, we’re 
watching two systems about to become name storms. One is more southerly, if you 
notice, in the NOAA graphic. The one right behind it is moving slightly to the 
northwest. FLORENCE, unfortunately, after  weakening some is going to 
restrengthen into 
a major hurricane heading towards the east coast according to the latest 
information. There is still a chance that it can turn before reaching land, we 
pray. In the meanwhile we were at the waterfront this evening where those two 
photos were taken. Folks, this could be the quiet before the storm if the first 
system continues moving west. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2018 21:57:24 -0400

Sept.5 - A year ago today we had our brush with IRMA.  It swept through 
knocking out power which some people never got back before MARIA and had to go 
for months without. We were lucky to get it back in 16 hrs. There is a scary 
scenario playing out in the far eastern Atlantic right now.. 92L soon to be the 
H Storm could be on a more southerly course, and the next one pretty much the 
same. They don’t have much to hinder them. Cat 4 FLORENCE is intensifying and 
there could even be a chance, according to Dave,  that it can hit the coast 
anywhere from Georgia upwards if it’s not steered away. A lot depends on that. 
Next week we will have a clearer picture, for the moment we must make sure to 
be as prepared as we can. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2018 22:45:13 -0400

Sept. 4 - The names Helene and Isaac are beginning to surface 
even before the storms begin to develop. However, the certainty is there and 
the probability of us being impacted in one way or another is almost certain. 
This we shall know by next week according to Dave. When these systems jump off 
the coast of Africa, they are well on their way to becoming name storms. Are we 
as ready as they are? May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2018 22:19:29 -0400

Sept.3-The tropical wave, which gave us copious amounts of rain is now whipping 
Florida’s south-west coast before making a beeline to Louisiana. It is expected
to become at least a Cat 1 before it makes landfall. While 75 mph may not seem 
strong, it‘s the torrential RAIN that‘s dangerous. As for us, we are watching 
the much ignored system off the coast of Africa, which is already showing signs 
of developing into the next name storm. This will be the “H” storm!! Reminds me 
of HUGO! It is traveling west straight across. Where it will finally track we 
won’t know for now, but it certainly is something to monitor very carefully. 
The Public Schools open tomorrow with 10 fewer schools since Hurricane MARIA 
impacted the island.  Reconstruction has been slow. Two of our windows 
downstairs are missing the lower half. We have not been able to get someone to 
repair one the other has to be replaced. So, for now if a storm hits we have to 
depend on heavy plastic and the shutters to keep it out. God help us and bless 
us all.

Isabel
 

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2018 22:35:49 -0400

Sept.2 - Having a good Sunday? That’s good.! I took a walk in our lower garden 
this afternoon and saw that the yellow plums are full and beginning to ripen. 
What luck! Just now that the fruit is ready,  we can be threatened. One of the 
waves that Dave told us to watch is in the wings. How close it’s going to get 
to us is another story, but he did say it will be to our east by the end of the 
coming week.  Then, soon after there should be another one. He mentioned two 
that we have to watch. Dave is my favorite weatherman from the time he worked 
at TV 2. When he cautions we should pay attention. The fact is, the Atlantic is 
being bombarded by systems coming off the coast of Africa. I hope I can harvest 
as many plums as possible before any storm passes by or hits us. The folks in 
the GOM should be preparing for the next name storm, which is now a potential 
cyclone. Be well, be safe, and may God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2018 22:28:12 -0400

Yikes!  Sept. 1 - This is the month most feared by the locals. Now, even more 
so after IRMA and MARIA last year. It is double jeopardy for those with School 
kids. They have to stay while others can go away especially if they are 
retired. Then again, there’s no way of knowing that this month could turn out 
to be quiet and October be the rough one. That may not be the case. According 
to weatherman Dave, who writes for stormcarib, there will be trouble down the 
road. It’s only a matter ofTime. We just have to be prepared and ready. Right 
now I think it’s the farthest thing from the minds of those participating in 
the revelry below. Have a great Labor Day weekend! May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2018 22:26:38 -0400

Aug.31- I read in our local newspaper that by the end of next week there will 
be a hurricane to the east of the Leeward Islands. That could be the reason why 
two sprays of orchids are blooming on our beautiful fallen  Divi-Divi tree. 
Really.? Well, could be. When OMAR was approaching there was a lovely spray of 
orchids hanging from the tree. My daughter and I were sad that it would get 
destroyed. OMAR raged around us with 130 mph winds. The next day the orchids 
were as beautiful as ever; so fragile yet strong enough to win the challenge. 
But naw! A hurricane to our east can go to our north or to our south as so many 
have done. So, let’s not get too nervous, just well prepared. May God bless us 
all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2018 23:50:46 -0400

Aug. 30- What a soaking indeed. So the ends the comparison with same time in 
2013. We did not have rain then.  A blessing indeed. I remember the men setting 
up the tents. The intense rain lasted until late evening tapering off to a 
constant drip. The tree frogs are having a big celebration! This TW is heading 
on to the Gulf on or near Florida. It has a chance of developing .We are 
keeping a close eye on the Atlantic, which is heating up at this time. I pray 
that we can get through these next two months safely. May God bless us all.
Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 22:36:22 -0400

Aug. 29- We were at Home Depot 
when heavy rain began to bombard the roof. One of the workers began to clap and 
dance! See what I mean? It hasn’t been raining real rain for months. It’s 
enough to make anyone dance. We knew from an earlier update that a tropical 
wave was approaching the islands. This TW could very well be the area circled 
green, which can pose a threat to the Bahamas or Florida over the Labor Day 
Weekend. The red circle might recurve out away from land, but it also can 
continue on a WNW track. It is expected to develop into a cyclone, according to 
Weather Underground once it passes the Cape Verde islands. It could become a 
very serious threat if it does not recurve. Please let’s monitor this system. 
Thankfully, the Lord provides us with rainbows and yummy, spongy clouds like 
the one I captured today. Be well, be safe and may God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2018 23:15:28 -0400

Aug. 28- This month is rapidly coming to a quiet close. Now suddenly something 
popped up in the Atlantic round about our latitude. The Cape Verde season is 
our season. That’s where Hurricane HUGO originated. It was the most devastating 
hurricane  since San Felipe-the 1928 hurricane. Nothing has compared with it. 
We don’t want a repeat performance. Let’s monitor this one and pray it does not 
develop.
Our 60% chance of rain was even less today, but no day has gone by without a 
shower or two. All the best to everyone in the Caribbean. Be on guard. May God 
bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2018 21:57:49 -0400

Aug. 27- The 60% chance of rain did not materialize for our neck of the woods, 
but maybe tomorrow’s will. We only got a few sprinkles from the clouds in the 
photo while we swam. It was headed the other way. My comparison is definitely 
different to the last week of August ‘13. No rain then. The weekend of 
celebration came and went; the weather was absolutely beautiful. However, there 
are only sunny skies in the forecast for this coming long weekend. I’m sure 
many people would be happy about that. I’m keeping an eye on the African coast, 
which seems to be spewing out one vigorous- looking wave after another. Just a 
little change in the atmosphere and those can become storms. We just have to be 
prepared. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2018 21:28:01 -0400

Aug. 26- When the sun goes down each day, it is dark, we become the points of 
light for each other. When someone leaves us forever, we remember whatever good 
points of light that person shared. It rained yesterday when Sen. McCain died. 
They washed away the tears of the many in mourning. My condolences go out to 
all his family and friends, one of which is a faithful friend of StormCarib. 
May God bless them and us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2018 21:25:09 -0400

Aug. 25-This morning we had several showers. The first one was followed by a 
beautiful rainbow, which I saw as I went out the front door. I had to capture 
it immediately. We are seeing an increase in rain showers now, but nothing 
threatening at the moment, however, there are two waves in the far eastern 
Atlantic and one in the central Atlantic with no inhibiting factor-dry air. If 
that remains so and there’s no wind shear we can begin to see some activity. 
After all, it’s almost September. Have a good night and may God bless us all.

Isabel 

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2018 22:42:29 -0400

Aug. 24- Well Folks, this morning we finally had a real good, intense rain 
shower, even if it only lasted about 2 minutes.That was this morning, then the 
sun was as bright and as intense as always. With the waves being sucked out by 
the dry air, the rain showers will continue to be brief and light most of the 
time as they have been. Unfortunately, it takes more than that to fill 
cisterns, and give life and luster to plants and fruit trees. The sea grape 
clusters dried up as well as the sugar apples. The yellow plum tree is hardy 
and we might very well have a good harvest in due time. The tree is loaded. In 
the meanwhile, our prayer- filled hearts are going out to Hawaii as they face 
the wrath of Hurricane Lane. We hope they can get through without any loss of 
life. May God bless them and us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2018 22:14:10 -0400

Aug.23- Hey! I’m not the only one comparing 2013 with this one. I read an 
interesting article about the quiet Atlantic Basin. The last time this happened 
 was in 2013. Look it up, if you will, Chris Dolce’s article-Aug 21,  on 
Weather Underground. Very interesting. The worst part of it is that rainfall is 
extremely low. To show you how dry it is, my grandson returned in April from 
studies in Spain and did not have to mow the lawn once, now he started college. 
and the lawn is still parched. The rest of the garden is shriveling up, if that 
applies. Another yellow X was plastered on the coast of Africa, but it’s going 
to have the same  fate as all the others before. Let’s see if X means business, 
at least some good rain. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2018 22:18:29 -0400

Aug.22- I had no clue there was an earthquake yesterday, with the possibility 
of a tsunami! I have been that busy! Well, we do have that threat too; we just 
don’t think about it as much, especially during the hurricane season. We do 
have a green blob in the Eastern Atlantic. Why it’s of any concern I don’t 
know. It does not have much substance, it’s embedded in Dry air, so convection 
is far-fetched. It obviously has attracted the attention of the NHC. It was not 
even quite off the coast as yet. I think we should keep an eye on it.
We’re half way through August.  Let‘s enjoy each day and make sure we have 
checked off everything on our lists. G’night and may God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:05:54 -0400

Aug. 21- This season continues to remind me of 2013. We were expecting family 
and friends from the mainland for our 50th. I was sitting on pins and needles. 
The beautiful weather lasted the entire time they were here. Whew! They were 
impressed; a great time was had by all. Interesting to see if the pattern will 
be the same for our 55th. Time will tell. The bougainvillea are die hard dry 
weather fans, they bloom best. And we continue to have dry weather. The unused 
utility pole to the east of our house has served as a lightning rod. And I 
caught the last Sun kiss of the day. All in all it was a great day, hope yours 
was too. G’nite! May God bless us all.

Isabel

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• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2018 21:50:53 -0400

Aug.20 - Another quiet,  lovely day in Paradise. The Atlantic is clean/clear. 
We have only to enjoy 
each day, making sure that our work is done. We are very grateful to have a 
nice road, just a bit concerned when it really begins to rain. Our gate is 
fully operational again, and now we wait for the window man, and the 
electrician.There’s never a dull moment. Quiet yes, dull no. Have a good night 
and may God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2018 22:07:43 -0400

Aug. 18- There are no threats at the moment.  However, I did notice on NOAA NOW 
a large wave in West Africa getting ready to plunge into the .Atlantic. We are 
in the second half of August approaching the infamous month of September, where 
some name storms have been very unfriendly to say the least. It is a month that 
instills fear in the hearts of those who have survived the dreadful passing of 
a powerful hurricane. We cannot hold back Time. The best thing is to prepare as 
best as possible and follow all the precautions necessary. In the meanwhile, 
I’m looking forward to Gemma’s Big and Bold Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast. The 
no knead dough is proofing in the fridge. Have a good night and may  God bless 
us all. 

 Isabel 

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2018 21:29:35 -0400

Aug.17- Another “X” in the eastern Atlantic was obliterated by wind aloft and 
dry air below. Now, that does not mean that the wave itself is gone. It just 
does not have the potential to develop, but some folks will be getting rain 
from it. I must say that we are benefiting more often from rain every day now 
even if it’s only the fast showers that go by in a hurry. Will the wind shear 
and dry air protect us forever? Let’s hope and pray.
May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2018 21:55:58 -0400

Aug. 16 - Finally we got what we can call “real rain”. The kind that soaks the 
ground and paints the grass green. We also have 99L in the Atlantic heading 
this way. but too far south most probably to benefit from the rain. Dave said 
things are heating up. Let’s see how the rest of the month is shaping up. The 
important thing right now is to be ready, not wait until something is right on 
top of us. I hope any vacationers coming at this time will monitor the  region 
to see if anything is threatening us.  Last year, three days before Hurricane 
MARIA arrived a couple flew down to enjoy their vacation at a condo on the 
beach only to have to leave the day before. They were lucky to get the last two 
seats on the airplane. I hope they can return during more stable weather. So, 
everyone,  please monitor the surroundings before you fly down. I wish our 
neighbors in the Caribbean all the best, stay safe. May God bless us all.

Isabel

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• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2018 21:38:33 -0400

Aug. 15- Sub-tropical storm ERNESTO formed in the Northern Atlantic today and 
another tropical wave bears watching east of us. This one does not seem to 
stand a chance as it gets closer to the islands. Wind shear is strong. Again, 
if some of the rain comes through, it will be a relief. It could also be the 
next name storm. Another big tropical wave is getting ready to splash down off 
the African coast. Let’s be ready for whatever comes. May God bless us all.

Isabel

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• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2018 22:10:43 -0400

Aug. 14 - Today water was delivered. We haven’t had rain in quite a long time. 
The showers that pass through hardly touch the ground judging by the dry lawn. 
There is rain in the forecast for the next days; we hope they materialize. The 
month is getting hotter by the day, but there has been a nice breeze. Makes it 
bearable. The little magic cooling box has not arrived as yet. Well, it’s 
always warm here so it should come in handy at any time of year. No threats 
anywhere in the Atlantic, let’s pray it stays that way.  May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2018 23:37:23 -0400

Aug. 13 - Another busy day. I noticed briefly that Invest 98L near the western 
Caribbean vanished. So far so good. On the other hand, our kids/grandkids in NY 
are getting the tropical weather. They even had power outages yesterday. We 
wish we could get a bit more than the brief showers we get each day. Tomorrow 
the water truck is coming to deliver a double load. We are expecting a tropical 
wave on Friday from the once yellow X in the eastern Atlantic. Maybe we’ll get 
some real rain. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2018 22:12:32 -0400

Aug.12/‘18 - Gale force winds early afternoon were perfect for sailing. The 
rest of the afternoon  was cooler, with a good rain shower in the evening. The 
threat from Africa dwindled to nothing. At the moment it’s quiet in the eastern 
Atlantic. So far this August compares well with 2013. There are still those out 
there with hypothetical forecasts concerning this season. The one I saw today 
brings the “E” storm from Africa straight through us! So, let’s keep an eye on 
the West Coast of Africa and pray that no such thing  emerges and heads this 
way. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2018 22:46:02 -0400

The suspense to our east is struggling. It has dwindled down to a weak system. 
If it survives all the way here it may no longer be a tropical wave. The 
environment has not been conducive for the formation of storms. So, perhaps we 
can breathe easy, however, as long as the yellow “X” remains on the map, 
there’s still a chance for renewed activity. The days are hotter. The real feel 
of 92 when we returned from the beach was 104. The sea was cool/warm and would 
be good fuel for any potential hurricane. Let’s hope the “E” storm does not 
make it. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2018 22:32:28 -0400

Day 71 - This system bears watching, especially if it’s a slow mover. It’s 
midway between Africa and the Lesser Antilles. We shall know by the beginning 
of next
week if it means business. So, let’s look ahead and review our supplies and 
whatever we still have to do. Monitor the system! Have aw good qnight and may 
God bless us all!

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2018 21:56:43 -0400

Day 70 - The weather has been typical, tropical heat, evenings cool, but it can 
be sweltering day and night as the days pass. A new report came out that the 
Atlantic Ocean is not going to be as cool as thought, which would mean more 
activity. Again, all that is needed is to be prepared. Are we? May God bless us 
all

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2018 22:15:42 -0400

This was T S DEBBY’s one and only day to shine as a 2018 storm. 
Tomorrow she dissipates in the vastness of the North Atlantic.  
What else does the Atlantic have in store for us? The “E” storm will definitely 
surface somewhere. It’s just a matter of Time. Are we ready? Our little solar 
light on the garden compass has been keeping vigil since Hurricane MARIA, and 
the well lit street below complements the surroundings. There is music in the 
cool air. All is well, that is, except for the blue tarps on some of the roofs. 
There is much unfinished work, hoping that the season passes by. May God bless 
us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 22:29:15 -0400

Storm # 4- DEBBY (97L) formed in the Atlantic this afternoon. It is not 
expected to last long; at most a couple of days as it dissipates in the cooler 
waters of the Atlantic. If only they would all be this harmless. We continue 
having hot, hazy days. I can hardly wait to receive my little cooling box in 
the mail. The evenings are relatively cool, outside on the decks. The heavy 
showers we got a couple nights ago was no consolation to those who still do not 
have solid 
roofs. I pray nothing fiercer comes around. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 00:27:36 -0400

Another day almost over! This one started after midnight with rumblings of 
thunder in the distance, then rain! We haven’t had a soaker like that in a long 
while. The lawn immediately reacted today with a fresh green color. It was 
especially humid today, with reason. The deep moisture was being evaporated by 
the sun. The color gray was back. In yesterday’s post I mentioned August 2013 
and wanted to compare this August with that one which was special in our life. 
Let’s see what happens. There really is nothing out there, at the moment.
So for those of us, locally, who wish to beautify our gardens  with some 
souvenirs from last years’ storms, look at what one person did with pieces of 
utility poles she collected! Let’s enjoy each day. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2018 22:33:22 -0400

Day 66 has been a black and white day, actually Gray! The sun shone through 
intermittently, but otherwise, it was gray( see photos below) No rain in spite 
of the heavy clouds. I am in suspense as to how this month is going to develop. 
According to the experts at CSU it’s going to be a below average year. Perhaps 
it will be like
2013 when our kids secretly planned a 50th celebration for us on Sept 1st. That 
with the peak of the hurricane season approaching!
Thank God it went well. Family and friends came from the mainland, had a great 
time and left before Tropical Storm CARLOS approached. It was a below average 
year. We were extremely thankful. Is it going to be the same this year? We 
shall compare. May God bless us all.

Isabel

 

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2018 21:48:12 -0400

Hi again! This system is somewhat crazy judging from the many twists and turns 
it’s projected to make on it’s way down, not to us but probably more over 
Hispañola. It may not develop into much, but must be monitored. Closer to us, 
NOAA informs us of “ a tropical wave just east of the Lesser Antilles; it is in 
a very moist environment that is supporting scattered showers and 
thunderstorms.” The Southern Leewards and Windwards shall be affected. I think 
we can all benefit from some rain. Today we had some light showers with heavy 
clouds hanging about most of the day. I look forward to some earnest to 
goodness rain with the wave to our east. I hope it does not go too far south as 
this last one did. Have a good night, everyone, and may God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2018 23:36:30 -0400

Today we got a few drops from the 
Tropical wave. It was too far to our south. We really, plants included, are 
begging for rain. We got a good refreshing breeze at least. There’s another big 
TW trying to cross the Atlantic. It probably will be smothered, I hope. We are 
still having a lot of dust on our cars, but the sky is clearer; it could mean 
that the end of the Saharan dust is near, I hope.Be well, be ready wherever you 
are. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2018 23:17:58 -0400

The tropical wave I heard about on the radio is farther south  than I thought. 
I was hoping to get some rain out of it. The August update for CSU remains the 
same. That’s encouraging, only 10 storms, 4 hurricanes and 1 major hurricane. 
The days are quite hot. I hope the Air Cool works for me The dust seems to have 
lifted judging from the photos. We should be seeing an increase of activity 
this month. I worry about those who are still waiting to have their roofs 
repaired. I hope it gets done soon.
May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2018 23:42:37 -0400

What a day! The road which was once the “worst road on the island” was paved 
today. AND the weather was perfect for it. AND perfect timing for guests in the 
evening coming to a farewell party for our grandson who is leaving for college 
on Saturday. They didn’t have to deal with that other road again. It was 
perfect timing again for the next couple of days we should be having another 
tropical wave passing through. May God bless us all. 

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2018 22:38:36 -0400

It was very hot when the sun shone, but we also had a refreshing  breeze, 
especially  on our hill. The dark clouds in the photos did not drop any rain. 
Our lawn is parched and thirsty, so hopefully the next tropical wave, Thursday 
into Friday, will give it a good soaking. That may not be good for our road. 
The work on the road will be completed tomorrow. August- will you be a lion or 
a lamb? May God bless all.

Isabel 

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2018 21:55:35 -0400

Here we are, rather quiet for the extreme forecast of an early, intense, and 
short season this year. But let’s not be too complacent. The storms will come 
eventually, not many, we hope, but they will and we must continue preparing for 
the worse. Remember, it only takes one. At the moment, the tropical wave 
closest to Cabo Verde has the best potential as it has no hindrance, however, 
the wave ahead of it is embedded in dust, so this one could have the same fate. 
We have been treated to an early morning shower just about every day. You can 
tell that August is near. Our fifty foot Sea Grape tree fell over with MARIA, 
but not uprooted. That was a big favor. Now I will be able to reach the fruit. 
We did a lot of garden work this morning, so I treated myself to a 
Cranberry-Zinfandel refreshing
beverage. Try it, you’ll like it. Have a good night. May God bless us all.

Isabel

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• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2018 23:15:41 -0400

Our Sunday was real sunny. It started out with heavy clouds and showers. The 
rest of the day was sunny, breezy,  and very pleasant. I get the feeling that 
more tropical waves are going to get through. They are lining up. I just hope 
everyone’s ready. We were warned early enough. Our Governor made a dire 
prediction last year that from now on the hurricanes are going to be as 
powerful as IRMA and MARIA. I just hope he’s wrong. It is so peaceful now. Work 
is ongoing on roofs, but blue tarps are  still part of the scenery. We really 
need a break this year for the sake of the many who cannot be fully ready for 
another impact this year.
Below the regrown and recovered trees make up the black lace on the afterglow 
of the setting sun. 
What a gorgeous blessing by the parting sun! May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2018 22:05:02 -0400

Hello again! What a day this has been. It started out with a furious sky, heavy 
clouds ready to burst, and they did somewhere else down the road. Then it 
became very windy with the surf building. Sure! It was the tropical wave which 
I saw approaching the islands last night. So here it was, with most of it’s 
life choked by dry air. Then later in the afternoon the sky was almost 
cloudless and so very blue! So when you see a blue sq., that’s a piece of our 
late afternoon sky until small puffs of white clouds spread out here and there. 
Now looking farther east I noticed a lot of activity getting ready to splash 
into the tropical Atlantic, and behind that a trail of many more tropical 
waves. August is right around the corner. Let’s hope and pray that the Saharan 
Air Layer still present can continue to hinder formation of storms. May God 
bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2018 00:33:22 -0400

July 27 into 28. Where did Friday go! Wow, Time is going by too fast for me.  
It’s already tomorrow. However, I was reading that CSU downgraded the number of 
storms for this season. Now it’s 10 instead of 14. 4 hurricanes instead of 7, 
and only 1 major hurricane. But on the other hand AccuWeather is predicting 
12-15 storms, 6-8 hurricanes, 3-5 major hurricanes, 3-4 U.S. landfalls. What a 
difference! Now I’m not sure if this is their latest forecast. I couldn’t find 
anything else. On the other hand, it’s not the number of storms to be concerned 
about, but the one that could impact us. That’s why no matter what the 
forecasters say we have to  prepare for the worse while hoping for the best. 
May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2018 22:42:11 -0400

It’s not easy to open a manual gate with one hand while holding an umbrella 
with the other. This morning was especially rainy-ish. It was just bad timing 
with opening  
the gate which should run on electricity, but is now on manual as we wait and 
wait for the “gateman”.  Otherwise, the rest of the day was great. Well, it was 
not great for Bella, the cat, our daughter’s pet. She’s away and Bella is 
missing her. You can tell by her face. I’ve been checking, scanning the 
Atlantic Basin for any signs of trouble and so far it seems as if July will go 
out like a lamb; that is, unless the protective dust vanishes. May God bless us 
all.

Isabel
 

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• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2018 22:10:54 -0400

The road that everyone feared is 80% done, just the final touches now and it 
will be a road well traveled, I fear. When the rainy season begins the road 
will be tested. It won’t be long before 
we have to face the peak of the season. I wish everyone well in the Caribbean 
and the mainland, which  will be equally threatened. We cannot become 
complacent. We have to stay in a preparedness mode. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2018 22:16:54 -0400

The dust has lifted for a second day in a row. It was such a beautiful day that 
we headed to the beach.  Clouds threatened but did not break.Hadn’t been there 
for a while. Judging from the many waves crossing the tropical Atlantic with 
dust alongside, let’s imagine twice as many waves without dust alongside. It 
could mean a very rainy “rainy season”  or a very stormy one. Brief showers 
pass by occasionally. Is this a good time to grade a dirt road? I wonder.... 
work on our road begins tomorrow. Perhaps it can be paved before any heavy rain 
arrives.. August is approaching. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2018 23:32:23 -0400

We had a couple of showers, badly needed. Soon enough we shall have more than 
enough. I see a train coming from the east. The waves  in the tropical Atlantic 
are trying to get through; however, the accompanying dust is still inhibiting 
any development. Can this continue? Not according to the past yearly patterns. 
What does that tell us? The closer we get to August the better prepared we 
ought to be. We are still working on a few things around the house. I just hope 
we will be ready enough and that goes for everyone here and in the region. May 
God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2018 22:12:58 -0400

I hope is was as nice a day as mine was, still is;  I’m baking at this hour. I 
got so caught up by Jenny Jones on YouTube, that I wanted to bake the cinnamon 
rolls, the crusty rolls, whole wheat bread, etc. Jenny and I have similar 
personalities. I always get a laugh out of each baking lesson. AND it keeps my 
mind off the hurricane season for a while. I’m still keeping an eye on Africa 
though; concerned about that particular wave.  Chances are it will dry up like 
so many, hope so. 
Be happy, don’t worry, I tell myself and tell you now  May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2018 21:57:52 -0400

Out of Africa, every hurricane season, come the monster storms that cause 
destruction, chaos, death, and disruption of life in general. It’s not Africa’s 
fault by any means. These are atmospheric conditions that circle the globe and 
this particular time of year is the most active. But what do I know, I’m not a 
meteorologist. All I know is that they come from the east and head straight 
towards the Caribbean. Sometimes they miss us and travel above us to the 
mainland, or south of us as the two killers MITCH and MATTHEW did. 
Unfortunately, they more often than not impact land. According to NOAA NOW: “A 
tropical wave is starting to move off the coast of Africa this afternoon 
accompanied by thunderstorms”. Notice the wave to the right. If this wave is 
not hindered by dry air, it will be marked by an X, if it continues to move on 
it will be labeled an “Invest”and will be closely monitored by the National 
Hurricane Center (NHC). Let’s hope this wave gets snuffed out and does not mean 
TROUBLE for anyone. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2018 22:47:42 -0400

50th day of the hurricane season:
So far only ALBERTO, BERYL, and CHRIS have appeared. Only BERYL started as a 
tropical wave from Africa. That was rather early. It was predicted that the D 
storm will come off of Africa as well, however, it will veer off to the right 
away from land. We hope and pray. We are content with dusty clouds and magical 
patches of blue like today. If only it would last. Those of us on the islands 
know that we must always prepare for the worse while hoping for the best. One 
year there were 19 name storms and we were not impacted, just the wind, rain, 
rough seas. Be ready dear neighbors in the Caribbean. Be survivors by taking 
all the necessary precautions. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2018 22:43:00 -0400

This morning we had a brief, but heavy rainfall. The rest of the day 
It was quiet and dry thoughj the threat was often there. Many hurricane 
forecasts are circulating out there, some mild, some active, some down right 
scary. The interesting thing would be to find out which, if any, of them was 
the most accurate. In the meanwhile we can stock up on supplies and be ready, 
just in case. May God bless us all.

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2018 00:09:17 -0400

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2018 23:59:22 -0400

I was “shocked” today by a prophesy concerning the 2018 hurricane season. We 
can neither believe nor disbelieve a prophesy but give it time and in this case 
be doubly prepared. Last year thousands of people died with the passing of 
Hurricane MARIA through Puerto Rico. This year, accordingly, the same will 
happen in another area. Someone once told me that they were concerned about 
such a scenario. So, the prophesy is not far fetched. It can happen and my fear 
is that the civil authorities can become overwhelmed because people prefer to 
stay in their comfort zones while they are risking their own lives to save 
theirs. I think the right approach is to give a time limit for evacuating 
safely, after that, everyone for himself. The prophesy urges us to PRAY with 
the hope of mitigating such a disaster! It is so quiet now that it‘s easy to 
forget we’re in the hurricane season, yet prepare we must. May God bless us all.

Isabel
  

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• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2018 00:02:39 -0400

Clouds loomed and threatened, but it was not until late when they broke mostly 
to our north. It was nice and breezy. We are not seeing anything, like an 
Invest that causes concern. I did notice a large tropical wave coming off the 
coast of Africa. Like many before, it will probably be choked by the dust. When 
the dust is absent, that’s when Wave Watchers begin to worry as they can move 
unimpeded over the tropical Atlantic. This could very well be a below normal 
year. That would be a welcome relief. We just have to remember that it only 
takes one, last year we had two. We always have to prepare for the worse. May 
God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2018 22:58:23 -0400

Great, if they keep all the storms from developing !! BERYL could have been a 
superstorm! We must keep an eye to the east! Now I am keeping an eye to the 
Northeast where “severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall” are in the forecast 
for tomorrow afternoon. I just alerted the kids and grandkids.
And this is the second time I’m writing this so have a good night and may God 
bless us all.

Isabel

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2018 23:02:29 -0400

What a day! In between all that we watched an exciting Final soccer match 
between France and Croatia. Now, we’re having some heavy rain showers. On radar 
it looks as if this can continue. There’s also rain in the forecast for 
tomorrow. THAT we can definitely use. Hope everyone had a wonderful Sunday. 
Have a good and may God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2018 21:53:55 -0400

The tropical wave I mentioned yesterday gasped its way through stifled by the 
dry air that was inhibiting any chance of showers. The threats were there, 
clouds, wind, no rain. This month is typically quiet, but the typical has 
changed and we don’t know what to expect this year. That’s why we should be 
ready for the unexpected. I’m always happy to hear that someone else got her 
roof repaired. Happy day! This gives a feeling of security. We hope it works 
and don’t have a Cat 6 lurking in the wings! G’night!
May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2018 22:23:49 -0400

So I thought I heard from the local weather man as I was looking for a station. 
I miss getting the forecast from NOAA radio,  but the new weather radio I have 
is so complicated! Sometime this weekend the tropical wave should arrive. I 
thought it was this evening when it suddenly became stormy looking, but it 
passed by quickly. The grass, the weeds are growing so much with the rain that 
soon the sound of trimmers and lawnmowers will be invading the air. I did my 
bit of trimming around the edges with my battery powered trimmer. It!s light 
weight and I stop when the battery Is done some 20 minutes later. Now all I 
need is a small electric lawn mower to finish the rest of the lawn.  I cannot 
get the regular one going; it requires a lot of pulling to get it started, and 
it’s a small one!
The woes of a petite gardener-weather lady! Have a good night! May God bless us 
all.

Isabel 

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2018 23:04:23 -0400

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• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2018 23:41:05 -0400

Visitors should be enjoying themselves these days. No rain in sight. Saharan 
dust came in after the storm passed  and behind it another wave. So there was a 
mix of sunny, hazy, cloudy, and breezy during this day. Perfect for outdoor 
plans. The Northeast coast on the other hand is feeling the effects of  
Hurricane CHRIS offshore and soon that of BERYL, which seems to be following in 
his path and has a 50% chance of redeveloping. So far we are good to go,  storm 
free, after two hurricanes in July; very unusual. Let’s enjoy as we prepare for 
whatever “names” are coming this way. May God bless us all.

Isabel
   

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2018 23:56:06 -0400

Looks as if it’s going to be quiet for a time. Nothing threatening to our east 
out of Africa. The dust moved in again after the storm; that was what inhibited 
BERYL from exploding into a bigger hurricane. A Super Storm by the name of 
MARIA was tormenting Japan and menacing others. We know about MARIA; how can we 
forget. My cousin in Puerto Rico said that all traffic lights are still down 
and it’s one big traffic nightmare getting about. She is selling her house and 
moving to s senior village in Florida. Wise move, unless something hits there. 
For the moment CHRIS is the only feature and it’s going up and away. Let’s 
breathe easy remaining in a mode of hurricane  preparedness. May God bless us 
all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2018 22:26:12 -0400

Since just before 1 a.m. the remnants of BERYL arrived and all through the 
night it rained on and off, I was told. I slept. It was so soothing to hear 
rain on the roof 
In the morning. There were sporadic wind gusts, otherwise the remnants grew 
more sparse, however, we could be getting trailing moisture for a while yet. 
Some waves are crossing the tropical Atlantic as is normal at this time of the 
year. There’s nothing
of concern at the moment. We can be sure that the NHC is watching. and as soon 
as they spot danger we are informed.. All we need to do is to be prepared, do 
what is necessary now so that we don’t have to rush around the last minute if 
there’s an approaching storm.Be well, be happy ! May God bless us all.

Isabej

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2018 23:26:22 -0400

The sun day today will become the rain day for tomorrow.  BERYL will be passing 
60 miles to our south
Rain is forecast to begin after midnight. BERYL is speeding along st 23 
mph.That being said
we probably will not get much rain, perhaps 2 - 3” , however some is better 
than nothing.

Another wave “fell off” the African coast according to Dave, but all eyes are 
on BERYL and CHRIS. Is that the potential DEBBY? Time will tell. May God bless 
us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 7 Jul 2018 22:44:47 -0400

At the supermarket this morning, there was an air of hurricane preparedness. 
People were taking BERYL seriously. As far as they were concerned, there was a 
hurricane on the way. Outside the store there was a sign posted : “limit 3 
cases” referring to the picture of water bottles. When IRMA impacted St. Thomas 
everything was sent there leaving a severe lack on St.Croix days later when 
MARIA hit. I was told that the ice plant was also sent to our sister island. 
Fortunately, Plaza Extra Supermarket was producing enough ice to fulfill 
everyone’s needs. There were always long lines for ice. I think we all learned 
from the experience of hurricane MARIA. This 2nd storm of the season has 
already been down graded to a Tropical storm, but according to word from 
Dominica, they were told to expect up to 12” of rain. So much water has proven 
to be deadlier than wind. If we get the same amount or less, we would have 
flooding everywhere, flash flooding in some areas, and havoc in general. We are 
not out of the woods until T. S. BERYL passes us. At the moment  NOAA is saying 
that the “Greater Antilles” should expect locally heavy rainfall, gusty winds; 
it so happens that the Lesser Antilles come before. While we don’t want copious 
amounts of rain, we do need it and hope we get some out of this system. We’ll 
know more on Sunday. Have a good night and May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 7 Jul 2018 00:10:52 -0400

We all have BERYL on our minds. No wonder! It has not been that long since 
MARIA and this early in the season we’re again going to experience another 
storm. As anyone can imagine, it’s worrisome. I hope and pray that the 
correspondent Lisette and the people of Dominica will not be severely impacted. 
As for us, for. the Time being, life goes on as usual. This coming Sunday is 
the annual MANGO MELEE. Will it be able to take place? Much work goes into this 
event. It’s quite an experience. Mangoes are hanging from my brother’s tree 
“like Christmas bulbs “, and they’re sweet and juicy. I got my supply, but the 
ones in the bowl are from a dear friend whose tree got partially destroyed by 
MARIA; the surviving part produced a good amount. What will become of the fruit 
in season? This is a yearly dilemma. Now, according, to Dave another potential 
storm came off the coast of Africa. This one might veer more to the north.  
It‘s going to be very active, I fear. I noticed that the 11 p.m. update has 
BERYL more to our south, and the whole day should be reasonable for the Mango 
Melee. Sunday night into Monday seem to be action packed. We expect wind and 
rain. At least, we hope for the rain. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2018 22:31:24 -0400

Well, well, our 4th TW has turned out to become a tropical storm. What does the 
rest of the season have behind the scene! Thankfully, the wind with this storm 
should not be too terrible when it arrives in the Lesser Antilles. It has to 
battle strong winds aloft to make it through intact as a storm. At most we are 
to expect gusty winds and heavy rain from Sunday into Monday. This could be the 
saturating rain some folks are waiting for with this system. As I write, we are 
having some showers from another source. T. S. BERYL is still over 1000 miles 
away. It will try for hurricane status and will seem to succeed but only for a 
short while. It’s a bit too early to be stressed out by hurricanes, a T S is 
all we can handle for now. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2018 22:18:33 -0400

Last night after I posted my update I was surprised to see that NOAA is 
investigating a system (95L) off the coast of Africa, that bears watching. It 
is moving WN W right towards our region. It already has a 50% chance of 
developing and could already be a Depression by tomorrow. The good news is that 
as it approaches the islands, this weekend, it will run into an area “not 
conducive” for development. It looks impressive! Please monitor this system and 
be prepared just in case. We have to pray that we have the strength to deal 
with whatever comes our way this season. Below are some graphics courtesy of 
NOAA. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2018 00:23:28 -0400

Today should have been a rainy day judging from the fat, pregnant 
clouds, but not a drop, or was that a drop I heard. Fortunately it was a very 
enjoyable day for the many who had off for Emancipation Day, a local holiday. 
Everyone must have been at the beaches today having a great time in the 
beautiful sea. Last time I was in it, the warm pockets of sea were beginning to 
overwhelm the cool ones. Which means that the fuel was being readied for the 
hurricane season.  I call the warm sea “hurricane fuel”. 
A Very Happy 4th of July tomorrow everyone. May the day be filled with fun and 
good cheer and thanksgiving for our country. 
May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2018 23:57:01 -0400

The dust dried up the wave. We got a few drops and that was that . A good thing 
that it did not rain; the house below was getting a new roof after all. There’s 
so much reconstruction going on right now
in this race to be ready for the rainy season and possible disturbances. In the 
midst of all this activity it was announced that the former Hovensa Refinery, 
now Lime tree is about to reopen for business. More info can be found on Stx 
Source. Talk about openings, I met the owner of the new restaurant 17/64. 
That’s right! 
Those are the coordinates for St. Croix! That was very clever. It turns out my 
grandson just tried it out with a group of friends and they were impressed. He 
was happy to hear that. I must visit that place. It sounds good. Have a good 
night everyone. May God bless us all.

Isabel 
 

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2018 22:03:31 -0400

The tropical wave headed this way has not shown any signs except for some 
clouds this evening. It has been a better day than most this past week; less 
dust, more sunshine. A perfect start to July, the second month of the hurricane 
season. This month has always been on the quieter side. I hope it remains that 
way. August should see more waves and perhaps storms. It would be good if 
everyone could be ready for the beasts from the east. Keep us in your thoughts 
and prayers. May God bless you and us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2018 23:47:54 -0400

The wind was so strong at times that I believe it just blew the dust away. A 
Tropical Wave is expected in our local area Sunday night into Monday. It will 
be a relief. However, the dust will return after the wave until the next week 
when another wave will approach the islands again bringing an increase of 
showers. That’s great! We need a breather from all this dust. Looking around 
the globe, there are many things far worse than dust, so we’re not that bad 
off. The worst part of it is the ailments it enhances in some people. I must 
say that with all the medical challenges after the hurricane we still have good 
medical attention. I’ve had the experience. Very serious medical attention 
should be addressed on the mainland if possible. And so it goes. We look 
forward to a calmer season, but are mentally/emotionally prepared for the 
worse. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2018 22:35:44 -0400

When is this dust going to clear!  Do we want it to clear? Remember, it would 
mean a dust free environment. Beautiful and ready to receive hurricane 
personalities.  
What a dilema! The waves are many! One forecaster has already gone so far as to 
say that the 3rd name storm is passing through here, but if he is as far off as 
with his prediction of ALBERTO, we have nothing to fear but fear itself.
May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2018 18:51:29 -0400

Some blame my congestion and other people’s health woes on  the Saharan dust. 
That could very well be; warnings go out to people with Upper Respiratory 
illnesses to stay indoors. Easier said than done. I am carrying on with my 
regular schedule making sure to drink enough fluids, and rest. I went out for a 
walk in our “park” a while ago  and I noticed that even though the youngest 
Flamboyant tree came down, it is blooming! And everywhere I looked there were 
flowers. That’s up lifting.  I should get well fast. I pray that everyone in 
the Caribbean and Mainland are prepared for the season. Last year was practice. 
NOAA is preparing us for the worse. Be well, be brave, and may God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2018 20:56:19 -0400

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• By Isabel Cerni
• Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2018 09:43:43 -0700

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2018 21:47:04 -0400

All the rain from the TW woke up the green onion type plant and it bloomed as 
it does after a good soaking. Suddenly the little white flowers bloom; how it 
got the name “jump up and kiss me” is beyond me. The rain continued as 
scattered showers, one intense shower woke me at 4:30 a.m.; Sunday morning was 
lacking the sun in the early hours, but It turned out to be a very pleasant day 
after all. Hope yours was too. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2018 21:46:39 -0400

The rain was heavier and of longer duration with TW #2; it just came long after 
I thought it had passed,. Our cisterns should be benefiting  greatly from it. 
There is still a chance of rain as it trails off. Lots of flooding was expected 
with this.   We’ve had two in one week. It could be that the dust has lifted 
enough. I noticed a large one coming off the coast of Africa. I sure hope that 
one chokes in the dust. It’s going to be a very busy season judging from some 
predictions. Are we prepared?  May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 21:34:58 -0400

We did not get as much rain with this second wave, at least not in our 
neighborhood. However, we were able to have a very nice, happy  birthday picnic 
at the beach in spite of the unfriendly face of the weather. We almost canceled 
it. Glad we didn’t; it was so beautiful, the turquoise sea just calmly waiting 
for us. We enjoyed it and were still able to follow the World Cup during our 
picnic. Armed with umbrellas, we headed out in the evening to the birthday 
dinner; we didn’t need them. A great day was had by all. Hope your day was as 
good as ours. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2018 21:46:00 -0400

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• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2018 23:39:30 -0400

After the passage of the first real tropical wave of the season, the skies 
remained overcast and threatening, with spurts now and then,  but nothing like 
yesterday. The blue tank below the deck was just about empty. It sounded hollow 
almost to the bottom. And then came the TW and filled it up again! That was 
some torrential rain even in short spasms. It was like turning a faucet all the 
way and then off. Long duration rain like the one along the Gulf Coast
can be deadly, 12” of rain in 30 hrs. However, we have to prepare for flooding 
here when the going gets rough.! It never fails in those flood prone areas. 
Much has been done to alleviate it, but there’s so much rain during the rainy 
season. My lizard friend outside the kitchen window has no fear of anything. He 
just lives with his eyes on the next catch. Hope you had a good Wednesday. May 
God bless us all. 

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2018 18:45:49 -0400

The tropical wave arrived as if on queue. It was a reminder that we are in the 
hurricane season and under other circumstances this tropical wave would have 
become an Invest as the experts investigate the system, that being a clear 
conclusion, it would be labeled a TD, the start of a Tropical Depression, then 
as it intensifies  it becomes a Tropical Storm and given an identifying name, 
then at 74 mph winds onward, earns it the respect of the biggest, extremely 
dangerous phenomena, the much feared Hurricane, which can strengthen to a 
Category 5, the most catastrophic, known for total destruction of property and 
loss of life. The names IRMA and MARIA will never be used again precisely 
because of the trail of destruction and death behind them. We hope and pray we 
don’t see the likes of them this season. We are very grateful for the rain 
today; it’s not over as yet, more rain is expected on Wednesday. Soon the 
yellow lawn will be green again. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2018 23:26:43 -0400

According to NOAA Weather Radio a tropical wave  will enter the eastern 
Caribbean on Tuesday bringing thunderstorms and much needed rain. We hope it 
does not fizzle. It has been hot and dry. Other than that it’s best not to look 
too far ahead; just do what we have to do and enjoy each day as best as we can. 
 May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2018 00:22:42 -0400

It was hot and dry, and very happy.
Hope all the Dads out there had a happy one too. I heard on the weather radio 
that a tropical wave will be arriving in our region Tuesday into Wednesday.  
That would be a blessing. There is one wave after another fighting the dust; 
only this one is officially  making it through in quite a while. The ground is 
begging for rain. I hope the Southwest got a good soaking from the once 
Hurricane BUD. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2018 20:54:44 -0400

The day started out rather cloudy, but there wasn’t much of a chance for rain. 
Just made it very humid. So, for a wedding early afternoon, well, everyone was 
sweating; maybe except the bride who arrived a titch late in an air conditioned 
chariot. I was running about for more than an hour making sure everything was 
done and the church was ready for the bride. The groom was eying the wall 
clock. I had already handed a roll of paper towel to all the groom’s men. They 
were from the mainland, not accustomed to tropical humidity. The hot sun 
decided to shine down through the west windows making everyone on that side 
rather uncomfortable. However, everything moved along smoothly with a few tears 
here and there. Hey, perhaps that’s why weddings and funerals are the same for 
some people?  So, thankfully,  no rain and everyone was happy and I was 
exhausted. Hope you all had a great day. May God bless us all.

Isabel 

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2018 19:43:06 -0400

The sky/air was cleaner today as we can see from the early morning signature 
photo. Half the month is gone already.! Yikes! And I keep reading about how bad 
it’s going to be. So many people are unable to get ready for another storm. 
According to NOAA it’s going to be an average, or above average season. We only 
have to worry about one impact and we hope that does not happen. Last year we 
were swiped by IRMA- we lost power for 16 hrs but others never regained it 
before MARIA’s impact. In between those two JOSE came along the same track as 
IRMA; mercifully it moved up a bit avoiding the already stricken northern 
Leeward Islands, however, it had a long tail that stretched a few hundred miles 
drenching us with torrential rain which caused floods everywhere. 
So, last season was about one of the worst ones ever. Let’s pray that we can be 
spared this season.
May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2018 00:32:58 -0400

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• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2018 00:07:23 -0400

Last year that was perhaps the most often used phrase. Another haunting phrase 
was from the governor during his evening update, “this could  be the new norm”; 
meaning that the hurricanes from now on could be in the catastrophic range. 
Already this year the eastern Pacific has seen two Cat 4 hurricanes, the first 
two storms of the season! Are we ready ? Just in case. We should always be 
ready for the worse while hoping for the best. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2018 00:30:20 -0400

Another very “foggy looking” day
With the Saharan dust cover. Just today we were saying how the dust is a  
blessing in disguise. Some waves manage to get through somehow. Good and bad. 
We need the rain, but on the other hand if there is a chance of formation, 
that‘s not good. At the moment the NHC is tracking just such a wave, or Invest 
91L.i suggest you take a look. It’s late and I may have misread “1 Active Storm 
in the Atlantic”.

Hurricane MARIA did a great pruning job on our local red plum tree, which we 
have for many years. It finally gave us a bountiful
harvest of big, sweet, juicy plums.
The yellow plums are due later,  around August,

Ready or not, the storms will come; hopefully no impact.May. God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2018 23:46:09 -0400

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• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2018 19:17:54 -0400

Hope it was wonderful for you also. We actually had a cloud cover, which is 
nicer than a blazing day. More than nice also, was the reappearance of Charlie. 
He was missing since last Thursday and I felt so bad. He is the baby tortoise 
which we had been keeping enclosed for his safety. We have not discovered as 
yet how he got out. His bigger brother, Sunny, keeps him company but sometimes 
he gets to mingle with the older ones.

There is some construction work going on next door. In reality it seems that 
people are using every moment they have to work on repairs. Before we know it 
we are going to have more and more tropical waves from Africa. At the moment 
they are very sparse because of the Saharan dust; they are emerging much lower 
where it is dust free; one wave after another. We must be ready by July. I hope 
and pray we will not have a repeat performance like last season. May God bless 
us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2018 00:23:38 -0400

It’s been another busy day, as you all are I’m sure. We are still doing minor 
repairs. We were told by the “gate man” to leave the gate closed during a 
hurricane, just tie it to the post at the closing end. It took the brunt of 
MARIA, but it shaved off the paint in many places. So, the gate is getting a 
face lift. Here we are 9 months since and recovery is far from complete for 
many people. There are many houses with blue tarps, or blue roofs, which are 
installed and meant to last at least for one year. Also, a hen taught her young 
brood to scratch on one of the little slopes behind the house causing loose 
soil and stones to collect on the walkway. Now a “retaining wall” is being 
built, plants and ground cover added to hopefully strengthen the slope. RAIN we 
will eventually get, most likely in abundance and if it passes slowly that 
means landslides, and flooding in certain zones. Well, I hope that won’t happen 
too soon, in the meanwhile, I’m happy with the occasional rain shower of the 
“watering can” variety. Taking a walk in our lower garden (photos below) does 
wonders, and beautiful sunsets are always a blessing. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2018 00:11:31 -0400

It’s been another busy day, as you all are I’m sure. We are still doing minor 
repairs. We were told by the “gate man” to leave the gate closed during a 
hurricane, just tie it to the post at the closing end. It took the brunt of 
MARIA, but it shaved off the paint in many places. So, the gate is getting a 
face lift. Here we are 9 months since and recovery is far from complete for 
many people. There are many houses with blue tarps, or blue roofs, which are 
installed and meant to last at least for one year. Also, a hen taught her young 
brood to scratch on one of the little slopes behind the house causing loose 
soil and stones to collect on the walkway. Now a “retaining wall” is being 
built, plants and ground cover added to hopefully strengthen the slope. RAIN we 
will eventually get, most likely in abundance and if it passes slowly that 
means landslides, and flooding in certain zones. Well, I hope that won’t happen 
too soon, in the meanwhile, I’m happy with the occasional rain shower of the 
“watering can” variety. Taking a walk in our lower garden (photos below) does 
wonders, and beautiful sunsets are always a blessing. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2018 23:53:44 -0400

We had two outages today. The first one coincided with a brief rain shower, so 
I blamed that, however, then there was the sound of sirens from vehicles 
speeding eastward. Later we heard there was a fire. It’s still not clear why we 
lost power. All I know is that my cinnamon rolls  were in the oven, and were 
only half baked. I put them in once again in the afternoon and they turned out 
quite good. A couple months ago, one evening, someone crashed into a utility 
pole  and we had a power outage for about 4 hrs. The second outage today 
happened at midday while we were at a birthday lunch. It coincided with rain of 
longer duration. We were happy;  everything is so dry. When you have an 
electric gate it has to be switched to manual during an outage. None of us like 
pushing/ pulling the gate, but if we want to get out or in, it has to be done. 
Thank God for little hardships. I pray that this season will be kinder. The 
last one brought us a lot of real, big hardships. May God bless us all.

Isabel

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• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2018 23:46:51 -0400

I cannot help admiring how the trees are in full bloom after such a vicious 
beating. For a while we thought the bare branches were dead. Not the case, they 
are all blooming now with promises of months of those beautiful orchid-like 
clusters. When we walk down the steps to the lower garden, it’s another world. 
The damage was cleared with help to fill up 30yd bins. There was a lot of 
garden debris after Hurricane MARIA. Now it’s quite a sight pleasing to the 
eye. We’re so happy the trees survived.

Talk about survival! Some people are having trouble coping with the Saharan 
dust. This heavy, dusty air does not bode well with those suffering from Upper 
Respiratory problems. In Guatemala the search and rescue had to be canceled 
partly due to poor air quality and
no further signs of life. It is heartbreaking to see. May God bless them and us 
all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2018 17:22:50 -0400

Hi! To that headline, I should add hot and dry! The air felt “heavy”, but now a 
light, refreshing breeze is making a difference. We’re hoping it rains soon. 

So sorry about the volcano eruptions in Hawaii and Guatemala. So much suffering 
there. That’s one thing for sure, when it comes to slow creepy, crawly lava, no 
amount of protection can save one’s homes. It cannot be stopped. Volcanic ash 
is a huge problem as well. We all have our disasters, don’t we? I just hope 
everyone gets as much help as we do. Let’s keep them in prayer and may God 
bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2018 21:42:51 -0400

We are getting all kinds of predictions about this hurricane season. It goes 
from “calmer” to 
“Very active” or similar to last year.  There is nothing we can do about  the 
forecasts, but there’s a lot we can do to prepare for s storm. We should be 
good at it after the last season. It’s the incredulity of the rapid succession 
of two Cat. 5 hurricanes within a short space of time that has left people 
baffled to say the least. I think those who can, will leave at the first sign 
of tropical trouble.we hope that we can cope with whatever comes if anything; 
we’re not going anywhere

Our gazebo in the lower garden fared well but the Pink Poui tree came down. It 
did not make it to its full stature of 75ft and we had to trim it down even 
more to pass through to the gazebo. However, it’s still producing those lovely 
pink flowers as if say, “I’m down,  but not out.” We can learn from that.
As we look ahead we can prepare and be ready for a challenge or  two . May God 
bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2018 20:32:56 -0400

Our proud, beautiful, Divi-Divi tree, which stood for many years in the middle 
of our driveway came down with Hurricane MARIA. Though it was not uprooted it 
would not revive. Instead it began drying out. It was a sad sight after such an 
abundant shady canopy for the tortoises  below. But then, one day we noticed 
new foliage on the ground, among them baby D trees, and a Noni Tree. A cancer 
healer, an overall medicinal tree. It grows to 20-30 ft with a wide 
circumference. Lots of cool, shady areas for the Red-Footed Tortoises! So we 
lost our beautiful Divi, but we got a variety of plants in exchange. Now all we 
need is rain, a soaker. It’s been very hot and dry. Hope all is well in your 
neck of the woods. May God bless us all.

Isabel

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2018 20:39:39 -0400

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• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2018 16:52:54 -0400

It’s enough to wilt even human flowers! Nevertheless, it did not hinder me from 
trying another of Jenny’s bread recipes; this time Crusty Rolls. We do not have 
air conditioning, even so, our WAPA bill came to $600. (accordingly using a 50 
day cycle.) I found out from a woman I know at a housing project that she 
received the same  
bill! She was horrified! Electricity is great, but beware of spotty outages 
that play havoc on fancy electronic appliances like our GE wall oven!  We have 
already spent a mint on repairs.$100. an hour just for trouble shooting to find 
the source of the problem. So, to avoid any further trouble we turn the circuit 
breaker on and off to use the oven. It’s a nuisance, but worth it. Ahhhhh, 
electricity! What delicacies come out of that oven!
So much for that! I have to feed the tortoises! Have a wonderful evening. May 
God bless us all!

Isabel

Today’s photos taken at mid afternoon temp 86 felt like 91. Hot, tropical heat.

Sent from my iPhone

• By Isabel Cerni <isabelcerni at gmail.com>
• Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2018 19:24:56 -0400

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