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- Updates from the Islands -- - St.Croix (USVI) - - |
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For the most recent reports from St.Croix see this page.
| - Sept. 7 - Record Breaking Atlantic |
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Yes, soon there will be 4 name storms at the same time; something never seen before. We may not have to worry about Paulette, Rene, but soon, in another week, other disturbances/storms will be heading west in our direction according to Meteorologist Ruben Garcia. It has to do with atmospheric conditions. I would still keep an eye on TS PAULETTE, keeping in mind what TS LAURA did. It was supposed to pass us well to the north and it dropped down to the south almost on top of us. We didn’t mind as we got the rain we needed and it was not a full-fledged storm as yet so as to have sustained damaging winds, just some strong gusts from time to time. We should all be prepared at this time. Take care of yourselves and property. Stay safe. May God bless us all. Isabel, The weather today: Late afternoon rain: End of day photo: |
| - Sept. 6 - Tropical Depression Seventeen! |
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I have never seen so many disturbances in the Atlantic! This activity can last a long time. Is this season trying to compete with the Coronavirus ? And how soon can we find out if one of them is coming to us? It almost seems that from the Imagery TD17 is headed our way. The meteorologists heads are spinning with the amount of information they have to gather to share with us. To keep us informed and ready for action if we are threatened by one of these disturbances. Let us stay focused and well prepared. May God bless us all. Isabel The weather today: End of day photo: |
| - Sept. 5 - Suspense in the Atlantic! |
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All eyes are turned towards the Eastern Atlantic. With so many disturbances it is certain that among them is a villain. Everyone is hoping they will just go away. For us the hurricane season is just beginning. It will be a while before we find out what those disturbances are up to, but I have heard some meteorologists say that at least two hurricanes and a Tropical Storm should develop. It seems that one of the hurricanes is going to scrape past the Northern Leeward Islands. LAURA was forecast to pass the islands to the north, instead it dropped down to the south and there it was at our front door. Monitor, monitor.! Don’t let your guard down until a storm has passed us. Prepare well. May God bless us all. Isabel A beautiful Hurricane Season day An extremely bright day after the Saharan dust. End of Day photo |
| - Sept. 4 - A Very Active Atlantic |
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Are we ready for what may be coming along in the near future? We often become complacent when we have a quiet period within the hurricane season, but then suddenly there can be more than we can cope with. Preparedness is the key if we can master it. A checklist beginning with the most important items on top and progressing to the lesser yet as important items. It’s good to have this list in a visible place. Check off the items as they are done. One of them is making sure that all loose items, and light garden furniture is put away. We must seriously monitor those disturbances in the Eastern Atlantic. At the moment Japan is expecting to be hit by a Super Typhoon Cat. 5. (The last time they had such a big storm was 50 yrs ago.)That could easily be us before the month of September is over. Us means the mainland as well. May God bless us all. Isabel, This photo shows how the Saharan dust is gradually lifting. The sky is clearer. End of Day photo |
| - Sept. 3 - Three Areas of Concern |
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The tropical waves are shooting out of Africa faster than ever. The current ones all look as if they have name storm characteristics. They are still too far away and perhaps too close together to figure out their future strengths and destinations. Unfortunately, from what I’ve seen and heard so far, especially from our weatherman Dave who wrote those chilling words about the latest one “60% chance in five days”, “Cape Verde storm“, “evil intentions”. Those words describe a HUGO-like hurricane or any other monsters in your memory. The lack of Saharan dust is going to aid any and all tropical waves from now on. We have time to watch, prepare, and pray as the days go by. Next week should be the arrival -in-our neighborhood of one or more of these storms. May God bless us all. Isabel, Passing Shower Evening Dust Effects End of Day photo |
| - Sept. 2 - Photos for previous update |
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Sorry, I hit the send symbol too early. I wanted you to see these two photos of the Saharan Dust and how it reflects on the sunset as well. Isabel |
| - Sept. 2 - The Saharan Dust reigns- for the moment |
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Lately the talk has been about the departure of the Saharan Dust from our region. It’s like saying goodbye to an old friend. It’s only dust, hazardous for some people too, but it has protected us from potential storms. We are entering the most critical time in the season and now the dust is leaving. The good news is that all models are pointing the big wave just coming off the Africa away from us, but as the latest meteorologist added, it is still too far out to be certain, it will take another week to find out. In the meanwhile, we still have time to take care of anything else that needs attention before we’re threatened. Be well, be safe, be prepared. May God bless us all. Isabel |
| - Sept. 1 - What a Pair! NANA & OMAR |
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She is south and he is north. He’s going off fishing, and she‘s going off to cause problems for the folks of Central America. And that’s not all. I just heard from Meteorologist Ruben Garcia of Puerto Rico who spoke about all the broken records so far this season. It’s already a given that the Greek alphabet will have to be used. There is a train of tropical waves coming off the coast, some of them with potential for developing. One of those undeveloped ones passed over our house today during lunch. What awesome lightning and thunder! Rio,the big dog ran about looking for the smallest space to hide, Benji, the smaller dog raced out to the covered deck and raced back in with his toy in his mouth. Hilarious! But seriously, we have to get ready for the big ones this month. Be ready. May God bless us all. Isabel, Morning rain  |
| - Aug. 31 - The Hurricane Season —after three months |
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After the long drought we had we finally got some good rain out of Laura, and since then on and off showers, but the season itself was not too bad as yet. Now the worse part for us is about to begin. September has been our month, but October and even November have surprised us a few times. We are expecting some rain as of tonight through Wednesday, maybe even thunderstorms. That would be nice if it materializes. Our neighbor bought a truck full of water today, we may have to do the same soon if we don’t get some serious amount of rain. Depression #15 will become a fish storm so no matter how strong it gets it will not hurt anyone. 99L is competing for one of the next names on the list. What’s coming from Africa is impressive, quite a long trail of stormy weather out of which usually comes one or two BIG ones. That’s what happened in 2017 with IRMA and MARÍA. They came within a week of each other!! So, we really have to monitor those systems. Be vigilant, be prepared. May God bless us all. Isabel, A beautiful end of month day including the heavy downpour this morning Clears skies mean no Saharan dust, means it will be easier for the storms End of day photo |
| - Aug. 30 - What a busy Atlantic !!! |
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Late this afternoon we got a taste of the wave passing to our South. It suddenly grew stormier by the minute, with heavy downpours. I checked the radar and sure enough there were rain bands whipping up from the South as the wave passed us. Now according to the evening news the wave had an 80% chance of developing, while NOAA still has it at 70%. We are expecting a regular wave to pass by or through us from Tuesday to Thursday. BUT behind that we could be in for serious trouble with a capital T !! Stay tuned. Remember, whatever passes by, or through us, usually ends up on the mainland, or Central America, or Mexico. It has to find a place to die. The best place is out to open sea, but they very seldom take that route, unfortunately. The worst is yet to come. Watch and pray. Be safe, be well. Isabel Some effects from rain bands of the Tropical Wave passing to our South. End of Day Photo |
| - Aug. 29 - Be Vigilant! |
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That’s the word of advice from the Meteorologist Ruben Garcia for the Caribbean. The Atlantic is very busy. Some of these systems can form right at our front door. That’s why vigilance is of utmost importance. All eyes are to the east, towards Africa, from where one wave after the other is emerging. And if we look farther inland we will see many storms crossing the continent which will eventually splash into the Atlantic and head our way. Entering the Caribbean now is wave #1 which has potential to develop. Wave # 2 could be dangerous. That one we definitely have to watch! No wonder that Dave said that having exhausted the names on the current list we will have to start with the Greek Alphabet. So, be vigilant, watch and pray. May God bless us all. Isabel, A cascade of flowers (the name evades me)...... It was cloudy and dusty today, End of Day. Photo |
| - Aug. 28 - We Are Watching this Tropical Waves |
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As LAURA, now downgraded, continues dumping rain. In some cases, it was very much needed. In Arkansas a relative wrote about fallen trees and a lot of rain. That was good for them. They were hoping for rain. We, on the other hand, are watching the two waves that are currently in the Atlantic heading west. The third should be off the coast of Africa by tomorrow, I heard. This is the Cape Verde season where those classic monster hurricanes are born. Hurricane HUGO was one of those. It is definitely proving to be as active as forecast. In the meanwhile, today was another dusty day. We hope that the Saharan dust can keep the waves from forming into cyclones. We have to watch and pray. May God bless us all. Isabel LAURA’s Blooms are Blooming everywhere. Our Dusty Day courtesy of the Saharan Desert No End of Day Photo today |
| - Aug. 27 - The Three Musketeers in the Atlantic |
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What painful images from Louisiana, the young girl killed by a fallen tree while she read in her room. We are not allowed to have trees closer than 25 ft from the house because of our cisterns and thirsty roots. In other places they tend to fall on houses or cars, and kill people. That is so sad. Unfortunately, there is a lot of hurricane season ahead and perhaps many more people will die before it’s over. At the moment, there are three systems with potential to become tropical cyclones, N,O,and P storms. The P storm is coming off the coast of Africa this weekend, if it hasn’t already. That is the biggest and nastiest-looking one yet. We are all hoping that dust and wind shear will diminish their development. Please, in the event of a hurricane do everything in your power to protect yourselves. Hurricanes are very strong, powerful, and of long duration. It took Hurricane LENNY 17 hours to pass St. Croix, during which time we were hammered by 140mph winds. I know. I was alone to endure it all. Be prepared, be ready. May God bless us all. Isabel Beautiful morning cloud Late afternoon clouds of intrigue Hello! I am Benjamin Lugo Cerni. They call me Benji. My first hurricane was MARÍA in September 2017. I was only 4 months old. I don’t like hurricanes. Be prepared. They are coming. |
| - Aug. 26 - Major Hurricane LAURA and the “N” Storm |
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Many of us know, from personal experience, the horror of an on-coming hurricane, a major hurricane. We know about the anxiety during the preparations for such a phenomenon. My heart goes out to the folks who will be dealing with a 20 ft storm surge in Louisiana. That’s one thing I have never experienced. Has anyone ever survived such a storm surge? It’s a wall of water two stories high. I am sure many prayers are going out to them. And the peak hurricane season is when we see the most and biggest hurricanes. The “N” storm is around the corner. It will be in our neighborhood next week unless something disrupts it. Perhaps there’s enough Saharan dust to keep it from developing into a monster. We pray and hope. May God bless us all. Isabel Evening is falling.... End of Day photo |
| - Aug. 25 - ALL is Quiet |
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I mean ALL. We are in the second week of Stay-At-Home. So, no open air bar and restaurant in our neighborhood playing loud music. Though some of it I must say is very pleasant. We also do not have any threatening storms. However, that is going to change soon. True to his word, the Meteorologist Ruben Garcia on Huracan Info, from Puerto Rico, said yesterday that there was a wave coming off the coast of Africa which would track the same route as LAURA towards the Caribbean. Today he said it should be here next week. My niece is confident that the mass of Saharan dust ahead of it will keep it from developing. So she hopes and prays, so do I. For those of you who speak Spanish and are interested go to Huracan Info on YouTube. He gives a very detailed and informative report. So, now we are going to gear up for the next storm (s). September especially is notorious for the BIG ones. Be well prepared those of you who live In the neighborhood, and also follow the Covid-19 guidelines for your protection and that of your loved ones. The USVI has 14 deaths now. May God bless us all. Isabel A Passing Shower in the Sea The setting sun through branches End of Day Photo |
| - Aug. 24 - Is the Next Name Storm Around the Corner? |
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First of all, how sad it must be for the surviving family members of the many who died in Hispaniola due to Tropical Storm LAURA. The images coming from Haiti and Dominican Republic are beyond words. How do they ever manage to get through each aftermath of a storm? Each year it’s the same. The next name storm is supposedly going to follow a similar track as TS LAURA, according to Meteorologist Ruben Garcia of Puerto Rico. This should be happening between the end of August -beginning of Sept. We were able to “dodge the bullet” with LAURA being so gentle, but that will not always be the case. At least one major hurricane is forecast to go through the Caribbean. Is it the next one? We are entering the most dangerous time of the season. Good preparedness is the key. Let’s be ready. May God bless us all. Isabel This morning's weather Noontime Weather - we had some very nice showers during the afternoon. End of Day photo |
| - Aug. 23 - “What a Difference A Day Makes!” |
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“..Twenty four little hours!” You can sing too, if you want. We certainly can sing because TS LAURA was very good to us. Now, we can enjoy this sunny Sunday and relax for a while as there’s nothing dangerously close in the near future. Have a wonderful day. I will sign in again tomorrow unless something noteworthy happens. May God bless us all. Isabel |
| - Aug. 22 - WHAT A DAY! |
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This was TS LAURA’S day on St. Croix. She gave us lots of much needed rain. We hope that the rest of the Alphabet plus will be as kind. So far there’s no new disturbance; the previous one fizzled. LAURA and MARCO are sure to make history. Two tropical storms in the Gulf at the same time! Well, I made history too. I sent out 3 videos throughout the day so the viewers could see for themselves what it looks like. A woman wrote thanking me for the visual from her home away from home. Now it’s time to turn in. Be safe everyone! May God bless us all. Isabel This last clip was too long and I couldn’t send it out, so after editing it, a much shorter clip, here goes:
Attachment:
IMG_1928.mov |
| - Aug. 22 - (5:20 PM) Our Weather Niw |
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After the torrential rain earlier there was a lengthy break, but we knew more was coming especially with the Flood Watch moved up to 10;00 pm. The turtles got fed earlier and outdoor duties done we had to run inside, Rio and I . Just on time! Another heavy downpour! TS LAURA has had a gentle hand with us, given us some much needed rain, no damaging winds, hope it will be the same for everyone along it’s path. Until later. Stay safe. Isabel Attachment:
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| - Aug. 22 (1:23 pm) Our Weather Now |
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Torrential rain! Will write later. Isabel Attachment:
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| - Aug. 22 - ( 8:59 AM ) Our Weather |
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Hello, again! The weather is perhaps a little more intense. A few high gusts. Not very much change from earlier update/video. Until later, Isabel Attachment:
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| - Aug. 22 - (6:58 AM) Our Weather |
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Good morning, world ! For those of you concerned about us on this little island in the Caribbean, this is what we’re experiencing at the moment. I have not been able to get a recent update. Is it going to get worse? We shall find out as the hours progress. I will report back later. Be safe. May God bless us all. Isabel Attachment:
IMG_1925.MOV |
| - Aug. 21 - (9: 34 pm) All is quiet! Sh-h-h-h |
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Is it over? It hasn’t even started! Late this afternoon dark clouds moved in and we thought it was the beginning. But then it was mostly clear again. We’re all waiting for the rain. It has been a while since we received a saturating rain. We are being warned about too much rain; in some places up to 8 inches. The start of the rain event has been pushed back a few times. Now it’s at 1:00 am. Flooding is a major factor. As a matter of fact we have a Flood Watch until 8am tomorrow. That means it should rain all night. That’s good sleeping weather, but the folks in flood prone areas must take all the precautions they can to be safe in a life-threatening situation. Monitor the storm then go to bed and have a good night’s sleep. I plan to do the same. May God bless us all. Isabel, All ports were closed this morning, so this freighter got stranded. Late this afternoon, when we thought it was the beginning of TS LAURA’s arrival. This pretty much was the exclamation point to the day. |
| - Aug. 20 -(5:21 p.m.) Huge lightnings and thunder! |
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Good Afternoon, everyone! What awesome weather! We’ve been having some heavy rain bands, and now this lightning show and such spectacular thunder. We Have received some alerts: “Tropical Storm Watch until Fri Aug 21, 1:00 AM”. “Flash Flood Watch until Sun, Aug. 23, 8:00 PM”. I did not expect any of this activity until Saturday. It almost seems as if Depression #13 is either sending ahead some of its bulk, or it’s approaching earlier. Just saw this: Hurricane Local Statement in effect until Friday, 1:30 AM. “The DEPRESSION HAS NOT STRENGTHENED HOWEVER IT IS EXPECTED TO BRING HEAVY RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS. A SITUATION OVERVIEW: A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as the Tropical Depression Thirteen currently located about 800 miles east of Puerto Rico is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm tonight or early Friday morning. The passage of the system is most likely to occur late Friday night into Saturday morning to our north. However, weather and marine conditions are expected to deteriorate most of the weekend.. So we can expect to really STAY AT HOME for both Covid-19 and soon to be Tropical Storm LAURA . If this is the only way, then so be it, the numbers continue rising. Be safe, not sorry. May God bless us all. Isabel |
| - Aug. 19 - Tropical Depression # 13 ! |
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Good night, All! The graphics are showing us what the computer models have been pointing at for some time now. (See previous post) The storm is coming to our neighborhood and should be at our door by Saturday morning. We are on Stay at Home orders, so we should have enough time to get everything ready. It seems to be a very large storm and will reach out farther than a more compact storm. The amount of rain will be too much for a saturated ground and warnings of flooding and mudslides have already been issued. We have to monitor it attentively. Be well, be safe. May God bless us all. Isabel TD # 13 - Soon to be Tropical Storm LAURA will be passing close to our North early on Saturday morning according to the graphics in the previous post. End of Day Photo |
| - Aug. 19 - Tropical Depression #13 or Soon to be LAURA! |
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 Here is the path finally. For the moment it looks as if will be passing between St. Thomas and us as a Tropical Storm on Saturday morning. Be careful out there everyone. Please be well prepared. This storm is apparently quite broad. It’s not going to follow a fine line. Isabel |
| - Aug. 18 - Suspense! |
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When will the “L” storm show her face so that we can her by her name. Right now she is still disorganized with two blobs that are trying to get together to form one big one. Maybe tomorrow is the day. Some are already referring to 97L and 98L as name storms, but they aren’t, as yet. Let’s not give them too much power. I’m hoping for rain, which, according to Dave—still my favorite weatherman —, we are going to get a lot as 98L in whatever form passes to the north of the northern islands of the Caribbean. It is a huge body of moisture so it’s almost a guarantee. But as he also indicated too much of it can be bad, in fact dangerous, especially for very mountainous regions. We have to make sure to take the proper precautions according to our zones. May God bless us and help us all. Isabel End of Day photos |
| - Aug. 17 - Threatened by L, or is it M ? |
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Whatever the case, we are sure to get some activity this coming weekend or into early next week. The disturbance 98L has a very high chance of becoming a cyclone in the near future therefore, it should bear the “ L “ name We are right in the middle of the cone. If that does not change it means that it’s coming right through us. We must have everything we need in place before the weekend in case it speeds up. The satellite shows it beginning to wrap around. To have a cyclone form so far out can only mean trouble with a capital T. It brings back memories of HUGO. We have to keep a close watch on this one. Most of all pray and be prepared. May God bless us all. Isabel Still a bit fuzzy out there. End of Day photos |
| - Aug. 16 - Are LAURA, MARCO, & NANA, Waiting in the Wings??? |
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Answer: That was the impression I got today. Hello, Everyone! Hope you had a wonderful Sunday. A bit troublesome, however, to hear that the MJO is kicking in and soon we are going to have too many storms to handle. At the moment there three disturbances; one is off the U.S. coast again, similar to KYLE. Then off the coast of Africa there are two. One is projected to go west passing us to the south and the other seems to be heading this way (subject to change, of course). If they all develop they will have the above names. The one that develops first will get the “L” name, and so forth. It is urgent that we are well prepared. We know what we have to do. If we are impacted by any storm this season, we will be without power for a long time. Remember the past big storms which crippled us? That’s why we need cash on hand, full gas tank, filled prescriptions, non-perishable food, and definitely a generator, etc. We should have a checklist available. There are too many things to remember. Be ready for the worse but hope for the best. May God bless us all. Isabel A Glorious Sunday Evening Rain End of Day Photo |
| - Aug. 15 - Splashdown! # 12 Perhaps? |
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I thought I just heard the Hurricane Hunters plane fly overhead, must be a recon . Josephine was still a 45mph wind, but fighting to explode into a greater storm. What is a real eye-catcher is the wave that just splashed down off the coast of Africa. It’s being referred to as “vigorous”. That being the case, it looks as if we are going a have a lot to contend with in the near future If it comes this way. In the meantime we are having beautiful weather, but still hoping for any bit of rain we can get to replenish our cisterns and keep the lawn green. Also hoping that the Stay at Home order beginning on Monday will bring down the number of Covid cases. Stay safe everyone. May God bless us all. Isabel, A Beautiful Hurricane Season Day End of Day photo |
| - Aug. 14 - TS JOSEPHINE & KYLE |
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Sounds cozy, but they’re far from each other. JOSEPHINE could be trying to go towards KYLE, but he has other plans. There’s talk that he’s going to cross the northern Atlantic and get caught up in the LOW life. Very bad. Together they’re going to form a strong union and attack Northern Europe with intense fury. Not good company I would say. JOSEPHINE is going her gentle way and try not to hurt anyone. Bermuda could be in her way, would be best to move to the side, but can’t so we pray that the folks there are not too inconvenienced. She’s being watch with hawk eyes, especially when she passes to the northeast of the Leeward islands and Puerto Rico. The word from P.R. is that they expect a lot of rain. Somehow, I find that it being more than 200 miles away when it passes is too far for rain. #12 should coming off either from the Carolinas again, I heard, or from Africa soon. From the middle of this month the activity should increase. Be ready! Be well prepared! May God bless us all. Isabel A very squally morning A tranquil Afternoon (Facing north where JOSEHINE will pass by on Saturday.) |
| - Aug. 13 - Tropical Storm JOSEPHINE ! |
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Early this morning Depression #10 was named JOSEPHINE. She should pass us on Sunday some 263 miles to the North, however, we were told to monitor it until it is has passed our neck of the woods. We have 15 more name storms coming according to NOAA and 14 according to CSU. I’ll take the latter. Among those storms are 4 -5 major hurricanes. One major hurricane is forecast to go through the Caribbean. Well, we, in St. Croix, cannot say we didn’t or don’t have time to prepare. We have another Stay At Home Order beginning on Monday 17th. This will be for 2 weeks, then another decision will be made at that time as to whether to extend it or not. So many cases are popping up each day that the CDC had to put us on Level 3 as a Danger Zone. During those two weeks since we have to stay at home we can finalize preparations for the two very active hurricane months ahead. So, be ready, be safe. May God Bless us all. Isabel End of another busy and beautiful day for RIO (dog) and us. |
| - Aug.12 - Tropical Depression # 10 |
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It did not make the upgrade to Tropical Storm J, but tomorrow seems to be the day. Also, the track is more southerly? “The center of circulation is a little farther south than previously estimated...” That’s according to the NHC on Global Storms. The CPA might be just for fun, but yesterday it was 260 as the closest point and now it’s 249. We have to monitor the storms until they are safely out of our neighborhood. Thankfully, this storm is not going to do too well with all the challenges ahead. It might even dissipate much sooner. Let’s keep an eye on it. May God bless us all. Isabel Early Morning Rain A dusty Kind of day End of day photo |
| - Aug. 11 - The “ J “ Storm is around the corner! |
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That’s right! By tomorrow night she should arrive, and apparently will strengthen. It could also disintegrate, but copious amounts of rain will fall in the region from reports I have heard. However, when it passes far to the north, we seldom get much rain, St. Croix is farther south, and for the moment it is projected to pass to north. That can change, of course. Monitoring is a good idea that way we know what to expect. So, let’s prepare for the worse while hoping for the best. May God bless us all. Isabel Couldn’t resist this cluster........ Nor the sailboat in the distance. End of Day photo |
| - Aug.10 - 95L is Hoping for a Name |
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Is everyone keeping track of 95L. ? It already has a 60% of developing , however, it will be encountering some chokers before the islands. Let’s pray that we just get the rain we need and nothing more. It’s moving now to the West Northwest at 10 -15 mph. At that rate it should be here by the middle of next week? Can anyone calculate, please. I’m hoping that my granddaughter who arrives on Saturday, and my daughter who arrives on Tuesday will not be hampered by this system. Other than that, I should add that the CDC has placed us on Level 3 because of the rise of cases here. We are now a “danger zone” and tourists are being warned not to visit the VI. We had 24 new cases in the territory today, most of them on St.Thomas. Be safe, everyone, wear a mask for your protection and live longer. May God bless us all. Isabel The Flamboyant carpet, Valencia palm, and the bay End of Day photos. (Any familiar cloud shapes?) |
| - Aug. 9 - The Disturbance in the Atlantic |
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Hello, Hello! Could it possibly be the next name storm.?? I don’t even want to say it! NOAA is keeping a close track of it. We should too. At the moment according to the report, it has an elongated shape like ISAIAS when it started out. If this one becomes anything it could be going on the same path; that being the case, it would pass us to the south. I kind of don’t think so at the same time, as these storms develop personalities of their own. It might do something totally different. We hoped ISAIAS would give us more rain, maybe this one will. But I am now counting the chicken before they’re hatched; that’s going too far. Heads up, everyone! Monitor this one and take the necessary precautions. Have everything in readiness those in the path. Let’s pray that it disintegrates. Have a good night and may God bless us all. Isabel A Very Beautiful Day Beautiful Double Bougainvillea End of Day Photo |
| - Aug. 8 - A Huge Uptick in the Tropics! |
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It’s coming! So they say. A “Huge uptick” -a rise in tropical activity beginning from the middle of August. Are we ready? Ready or not, they are coming. The NHC already has its focus on several that are crossing Africa. The first one splashed into the Atlantic this morning. It will take about a week and a half to reach the Antilles depending on speed. We have been given time to prepare. Hope you have a check off list of things to do. Some of us do this mentally, but then we forget, so a printed or handwritten one is much better. One major hurricane is predicted for the Caribbean. Is it the next name storm? Then let us recall our biggest or worse hurricane and get moving. May God bless us all. Isabel, The Secret Lower Garden End of Day Photo. (Taken from the Upper Garden or main level) |
| - August 7 - A Blob in the Atlantic! |
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Good night, all! The disturbance mentioned is about half way here and it has room for development until it reaches a certain area where it will meet up either with wind shear or dust, or both. We can still get some rain out of it, which would be great. Our day today was a mix of dust, clouds, rain mostly over the sea, and we even heard the rumble of thunder to our south. So, we are still being protected to a certain extent by these elements, however, they are not going to stick around too much longer and we can expect a lot of tropical action in the next two weeks, according to weatherman (or guru) David Schlotthauer. The bottomline is that hurricane preparedness should be priority. To that we have to add Covid-19 guidelines. We cannot put aside one for the other. We will have to deal with both. Be ready, be safe! May God bless us all. Isabel Today at noon facing North I like clouds. Here are some hiding the setting sun. The afterglow is always a sight to enjoy. |
| - Aug. 6 - Scary CSU Update! |
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Thank you, Gert, for sharing the information with us. Sounds as if we are going to go through all the way to November with the storms. That’s 15 additional storms, with at least one major hurricane tracking through the Caribbean. It’s going to get busy soon. I can feel it! This quiet is too eerie. I say, bring them on if they must come so that we can get over them the sooner the better. We had an electrician friend today checking our generator capability. I can foresee many power outages of longer duration. We have had enough practice through the years the only problem is that the storms are not only more numerous but stronger. I’m so sorry in advance for whoever gets one of these storms, little or big. See what ISAIAS did? He was giving us a heads-up of things to come. May God bless us all. Isabel VERY BUSY PIER ! END OF DAY PHOTOS: |
| - Aug. 5 - Quiet Days Now, Stormy Ahead |
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Are we ready for what is coming? We may have more name storms than originally predicted. Now, where did that come from? My niece heard that this morning. Whatever the case, we are in for a very active, perhaps very dangerous time ahead if we’re gong to be having huge storms. In the aftermath of Hurricane MARÍA in 1917, Gov. Mapp predicted that from then on hurricanes were going to be Cat 5s. I thought that one was an 8! It makes sense that they should be huge, apparently the sea was measured for depth of warm water and it went past 500ft. That’s a lot of fuel for the storms. Please, everyone, in the Caribbean, try to take care of everything while there is still time. We may only have two weeks or less before everything goes downhill. May God bless us all. Isabel My Postcard for you -Our Lawn is green again! That’s because of rain like this today. End of Day photo |
| - Aug. 4 - The ISAIAS Northeast Wallop! |
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It could have been worse for all of us with ISAIAS. After seeing the chaos and destruction of a minimal hurricane we should be grateful that it was not a Cat 5! Those are still coming if CSU’s predictions hold true. We have to be prepared for the worse while hoping for the best. So far, since ISAIAS it’s been quiet over here. The 10th system fizzled. One worry less. It’s only a matter of Time. In the meanwhile, we continue coping with the Pandemic. Found out yesterday that my daughter in law got infected. That’s the plight of many a Health Care worker. Be well, be safe. May God bless us all. Isabel, It’s been mostly Fuzzy today. |
| - Aug. 3 - Hurricane ISAIAS, Again! |
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All is quiet on our side of the Caribbean and Tropical Atlantic, but it’s only a matter of WHEN. We are well aware that the busiest time for us is towards September. The ninth storm, ISAIAS, has been flip flopping from a tropical storm to a hurricane, and back, and so on. Currently it’s back to hurricane status as it makes it’s way up the northeast coast. The flooding there will be monumental for sure. I hope everyone is paying attention. The Covid-19 cases in our territory are rising everyday. the 400 plus include the three islands. Today, for example, there are 24 new cases, 17 in St. Croix and 7 in St Thomas. There is definitely a double concern this year. May God bless us all. Isabel My postcard of the day for you The way to the Secret Garden |
| - Aug. 2 - Tropical Storm ISAIAS Reigns |
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It is the only threat to anyone anywhere now. According to Dave it probably will be quiet for a couple of weeks after this one. ISAIAS has been a good preparedness run for both the Weather experts and us. What’s coming down the pipe between the middle of August and November will probably be too much to handle between the storms and Covid-19. Our cases here are rising. After a steady number of only 76 cases we’re suddenly over 400 with two additional deaths. We have to stop being down-right stupid and follow the guidelines for our own sake, while at the same time be very smart and get ready for the storms that are coming. Don’t leave it for the last minute. May God bless us all. Isabel End of Sun Day photo |
| - August 1 - End of Day photo |
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Peace and tranquility to all! Isabel |
| - August 1 - Three Tropical Systems in the Atlantic |
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The one that has all the attention is ISAIAS, now downgraded to Tropical Storm status. A strong one, nevertheless. Three people got killed in the Caribbean when it was a weaker Tropical Storm. It was 1200 miles wide at that time; last I heard it was 570 miles wide, but stronger. Everyone in the path of this storm must evacuate the areas along the coast if necessary. For the moment we have no threats but they are sure to come. Depression #10 is not coming anywhere near us, unless there’s a drastic change. Disturbance #2 is going out to open sea. It would be great if all the remaining storms on the list become fish storms. Hurricane preparedness is the key to survival. Even the fish, I read once, know when a storm is coming and they fill themselves with water for ballast. Be well and ready folks, here and beyond. Have a good night. May God bless us all. Isabel, |
| - July 31 - The Hurricane Season is in Full Swing |
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G’d night, all! Here we are with two months of hurricane season behind us we already have an average of five storms per month. Today Depression #10 formed in the far eastern Atlantic. This is going to be a crazy one. It was heading west initially, then it turned north, and now it’s heading this way again. I can almost bet it will be our next name storm. Is August going to be more active than these past two months? Well, it happens to be the beginning of the peak of the hurricane season and we have another 10 storms to go. Let’s hope we don’t get them all at once. We need breathing space in between. Tension builds with the approach of a hurricane. Right now, the Floridians on the east side of the Peninsula are nervously awaiting Hurricane ISAIAS. It is going to change over to Tropical Storm status according to the experts then head up the east coast. Looks also as if we are going to see the first “fish storm” meaning, it will only disturb the fish in the middle of the Atlantic. Be prepared, be safe. May God bless us all. Isabel This was at noon today End of Day photo |
| - July 30 - The Quiet AFTER the Storm |
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It’s amazing how quiet it is. Instead of other noises I can hear every little tree frog in gleeful concert. And what a relief when I noticed that the new X that just came off the coast of Africa is heading North! Will it continue North(?) is the question. It is developing fast, by Friday it should already be a Depression. Right now our main concern is for Florida and folks along the East Coast, or wherever ISAIAS tracks. It’s trying to upgrade from TS status. By tomorrow it could very well be there. I hope and pray that everyone along the path of this storm will be ready. May God bless us all. Isabel |
| - Update |
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Forgot to say the video faces south from my window coming over the hills of Solitude, STX. I usually take shots if Buck Island.
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| - Update |
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This am about 7:15. Buck Island STX. That big orange blob 100 miles below us at 11 pm last night evidently came straight up and over us. It's just now leaving. No downpours, but plenty banging shutter windy. Enough rain I hope. We needed that on dry side.  |
| - Update |
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This booger isn't gone yet! Gusty winds and rain. The exit worse than the approach.
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| - July 29 - Tropical Storm I SA I AS |
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The ninth name storm is here officially. This Portuguese name is difficult to pronounce for some. So here goes: The first I is an E SA like in SA(D) then E and AS (us) E SA E US. There, now everyone should be able to say ISAIAS ! Bravo! Tonight we’ve been having some very strong gusts from the tail end of ISAIAS. Rain has been sparse considering the size of this system. Hopefully if it goes over the DR it will disintegrate enough as to render it harmless. I cannot visualize a major hurricane traveling the backbone of Florida which is one of the tracks. We have a trail of Waves crossing the Atlantic. We had better be ready. Four of the nine hurricanes predicted are suppose to be major. We’re talking in the range anywhere from Cat 3 - 4 - 5. Pray, hope, and don’t worry, just be prepared. May God bless us all. Isabel A brighter thought: This beautiful tree came from one seed. Amazing! |
| - July 29 - 6:00 p.m. High surf and drip, drip, drip. |
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| - Update |
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Still coming in from North and East. In between bands hazy sun.
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| - July 29 (11:10 a.m.) |
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 We’re having a mixed bag of sunshine, strong gusty winds, and a brief heavy shower like this one every now and then. So far, just an ordinary tropical wave. Thank God! Isabel
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| - July 29 - A Troubled TW |
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Good Morning, All! It is very windy here, the sea is rough and roaring. Other than that there is no sign of rain, as yet, and judging from the satellite imagery it looks as if it’s weakening. Yet the stormcarib photo I am featuring shows a system that is trying to become a name storm. Will check back in later. Be well, be safe, be prepared. May God bless us all. Isabel Wow! This is worthy of a Name! 7:50 a.m. This is how it is. Windy, rough seas, no rain. |
| - July 28 - To Be or Not to Be - ISAIAS |
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Here we are on the eve of what could have been another BIG hurricane over St.Croix, but thank God, dust and wind shear has been in our favor. The potential # nine is just that. We are beginning to hear the rushing wind more, and some drizzle is being squeezed out of the storm still not at our doorstep. The wind is forecast to get stronger by the hour, but the rain is not expected until tomorrow night. I understood that this was going to be more a rain event than a wind event, but the wind is winning. That makes me think that perhaps the “wanna be” will finally get its name when it’s on top of us. I shall go to bed with Isaias on my mind and pray that everyone will be safe from Covid-19 and the potential cyclone. May God bless us all. Isabel Saharan Dust - a saving grace End of Day photo |
| - July 28 - (12:31 p.m.)The Red X is NINE, still No Name! |
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Something is either wrong with this picture or the information in wrong. We are suppose to have Flash Floods until 7:15 this evening, but so far no rain. It’s speeding at 23 mph so it might whiz by so fast we won’t even notice. There is a lot of dust in the air. It will probably kill this system. I will try to take another photo later from this same angle to compare. Until then be safe out there. May God bless us all. Isabel  |
| - July 27 - A Tropical Wave is Passing Through |
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We had a very breezy day today. Then our cat who usually likes to go outside after his “16” hour nap - back tracked and headed back to his warm sleeping chamber. Then later it started thundering and it’s been raining on and off. Right now it is torrential. The heavier part of this wave has arrived. The pets are restless because of the continuous thunder or rumblings I should say. This system is suppose to continue sounding off until 12:15 a.m. I really would like to know what to expect from 92L. It’s moving rather fast at 22mph, and according to Gert it should be here by Wednesday as a Tropical Storm or Cat 1 hurricane. I guess we have to wait and see. Be safe, be prepared and may God bless us all. Isabel Before the arrival of this active tropical wave The tropical wave approaching |
| - July 26 - Invest 92L , the “ I “ Storm? |
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Not only a name storm, but should be in our backyard, or front yard, or doorsteps between this Thursday to Saturday. Are we ready? This could be a big one if lack of wind shear and dust allow. Now is the time to rush to completion what has not been done as yet. That’s not all, there’s a series of waves lined up in Africa moving towards the Atlantic. Well, let’s keep in mind that 20 name storms were in the forecast, so, those waves are officially name storms even before they splash into the Atlantic. I couldn’t believe how warm the sea was when we went recently to the beach. Be prepared! May God bless us all. Isabel “Fluffy” - so named by my grandchild when he was a little kid - loves hibiscus! End of Sunday photo |
| - July 25 - The First Hurricane of the Season |
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Well, well, should we congratulate HANNA for winning the title? I did not think she would make it being so close to shore. 90 mph wind does not seem like much, but I bet the folks in Texas are not having a good time. The rain is probably going to drag on for a while, flooding everywhere. Hope no one lost their lives. Water is very dangerous and many people think they can just drive through it without consequences. We could be dealing with the next name storm by the end of next week. Unless the Saharan dust dries it up we are going to have a major problem. We are already taking note of all the things we need to check off so that we’re ready. In the meanwhile, the Covid cases are going up. Be safe out there. have a good night and may God bless us all. Isabel Very dusty ! End of Day photo |
| - July 24 - Is the NINTH name storm for us.? |
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Good night all, hope everyone is in good health and following the guidelines. We are between concerns of Covid-19 and the threats we are sure to face this hurricane season. At the moment there is a rapidly developing system in the Atlantic which is heading this way. Apparently, it has the potential to become the first hurricane of the season. Unfortunately, we and all the little surrounding islands are embedded in its track. The only thing that can stop it dead in its track is Saharan dust. We had lots of it today, but will it be around next week or whenever this system is due? I think I heard somewhere towards the end of next week. We don’t like the dust and the storms don’t like how it interferes with them, but for us its a plus. We shall see and hear more about this system in the news. It might be a BIG one. May God bless us all. Isabel The Sun and Saharan dust |
| - July 23 - Tropical Storm HANNA ! |
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Wow! At this rate we will be done with this first set of names and have to start over. The only time that happened was in 2005. Their were some “biggies” then but the most horrendous one was the unforgettable KATRINA. Let’s hope this year will not be as bad. However, there were 9 hurricanes in the forecast for this year. Not a good sign. Hope everyone's prepared! There’s a yellow X right off the coast of Africa. It is higher than GONZALO which should pass far to our south. This new one, if it develops could be something to deal with. We have to make sure we have everything we need, in case. May God bless us all. Isabel, Very windy and very rough seas today. End of a very HOT day, |
| - July 22 - Tropical Storm Gonzalo |
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Our 7th name storm GONZALO is forecast to become a hurricane, then back to TS status. It’s very low to the south, so it should pass far from us on the weekend. We may not even get rain out of it, however, as we know, that can change. So we have to pray that everyone impacted along the track will be safe and secure. In the Gulf there is Depression #8. Could be the next name storm. Well, we have 13 more to go. It’s becoming very active. May God Bless us all. Isabel Rain and rainbow early this morning with the passing of a TW. Then we went to Southgate Beach. The sea is very warm. Hurricane fuel! |
| - July 21 - Tropical Depression Seven! |
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The southern Windward Islands and further west should pay attention to this system which should be the next name Storm by tomorrow, Wednesday, according to the NHC. I am watching the big one coming off the coast of Africa. It’s higher than this one and most probably will be in our neck of the woods next week sometime, unless it fizzles. //What is not fizzling are the Covid cases that keep rising, We have another death. Curiously, its the 7th death, and today the 7th tropical system formed in the Atlantic. Be safe and be prepared! May God bless us all, Isabel IN LOVING MEMORY OF A FRIEND A WHO DIED THIS MONTH  |
| - July 20, 2020 - The First threat in the Tropical Atlantic! |
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Here we go! The tropics is beginning to heat up. We have three disturbances. One is going into Texas/Louisiana coast with lots of rain. Another is above Hispaniola making its way towards the Gulf, and the other is in the Tropical Atlantic where it has the possibility of developing into a Depression, if nothing else, before it runs into unfavorable conditions by the weekend. It’s moving straight west as they usually do this early in the season. There’s a very big tropical wave coming off the coast of Africa, which could spell trouble with a capital T. That is, unless the dust descends upon it. According to Direct Weather there are many Lows in Africa at the moment. Not sure if they will move across to the Atlantic, but let’s keep in mind that CSU has predicted 20 name storms, we have 14 to go. Be prepared. Be safe out there, wear your mask if required to do so, don’t take any chances. The virus is airborne. May God bless us all. Isabel The Turtles’ domain Today’s sky - Mostly Blue. We were hoping for rain. End of day photo. Today’s sunset |
| - July 19 - A Yellow X is pointing to Texas |
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Good Sunday, evening! Hope it was a nice day for everyone. We cannot complain about the weather. What is of concern is the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the territory. We’re now at 304 cases, yet the small, neighboring British island of Anguilla has only 3, the lowest number of cases in the world, but then it has a very low population as well. The disturbance I mentioned above marked with an X usually calls for a watchful eye. Right now it has a 0% chance, but it obviously is in an area notorious for the formation of storms. At the moment it is looking towards Texas. I shall track it until it’s no more. Have a good night, be safe, and may God bless us all. Isabel This is LUCKY, the Red-Footed tortoise baby, at that moment trying to get out of his bath. This is a rain cloud, looking very much like a mushroom. End of Day photo |
| - July 18 (2nd) - Nice Rainy Morning! Cool! |
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We got quite a treat with the passing Tropical Wave, some much needed rain. There are three more tropical waves crossing the Atlantic, so there’s rain in the forecast for the next week. I also was listening to the Direct Weather report today, and the analyst seems to think that from the 24th onwards we should begin to see activity from Africa. The worst ones form on land there and once in the ocean they continue to form becoming very big hurricanes. He mentioned again the very active season ahead, but there’s also another update coming up from CSU and all who predict these storms. Perhaps that update will downgrade the number, keeping in mind, that even of there are very few, it only takes one. We have to hope for the best, pray, and be prepared. May God bless us all. Isabel This morning’s rain. The sunset End of day photo. The Glow ! |
| - July 17 - Perfect for Visitors |
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That was our day today. Perfect for us too. The afternoons can get quite hot, perfect for siesta. Yesterday was a very long day and so was today. The post for the 16th went out after midnight. So, this one should be 17 B. I wish I can get it done earlier. Our Covid cases went up again today. Imagine living like this for another year or so. That’s why it’s good to live one day at a time and not look too far into the future. I’m trying to do that with this hurricane season, but it’s difficult when I think of the remaining 14 storms to come. Be prepared everyone. Be happy and be safe. May God bless us all. Isabel Today’s view Cloud people watching the sunset End of day photo |
| - July 16 - A Quiet Spell |
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Let us enjoy this time while we can. The Saharan Air Layer seems to be lifting. Our sky is clearer these days. The sun is intense. Good for people who like to roast in the sun. We are also seeing/hearing more rain showers, and finally the brown lawn is looking green again. It’s been months of dry weather, but that can change quickly. The recent change these days that’s notable is the number of Covid-19 cases rising in St.Thomas. The Virgin Islands is the current Hot Spot for the virus. Think more than twice if you plan a trip here. Be well. May God bless us all. Isabel Blue, white, and green Christiansted Historic Site and beyond End of Day photo. - looks like a carnival in the horizon |
| - July 15 - A Seemingly Dust Free Day? |
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We had very blue, sunny skies, a welcome breeze, a beautiful day, which changed into a cool night, a gentle, brief shower. The only suspenseful part of the day is when the number of new virus cases is posted. We are now the Hot spot of the Caribbean? Hard to believe. Today was a surprise that there were only 6 new cases. 2 in St. Croix, and 4 in St. Thomas. All in all, it was a good day. I do some research before I write the update and so far all is quiet out there. The only difference is that there is probably an increase of tropical waves crossing from Africa. That is not so worrisome at the moment because there is still enough dust to keep them from forming. The worrisome part would be the fact that everyone is focused on Covid -19 and not giving much thought to the hurricane season, especially to the nine hurricanes in the prediction for this year. When those potential monsters start rolling off the coast of Africa, can we say that we are truly prepared to meet the challenge? May God bless us all. Isabel I should’ve taken a long shot to show the blue sky above the clouds. It was this H O T ! End of day photo |
| - July 14 - The Quiet before the STORMS |
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Good night, All! I don’t know about you, but have another fourteen storms coming, I prefer to have them spread out rather than all in one bunch. CSU seemed serious about the twenty name storms this season, We’ve had six that means we have another fourteen to go. The Saharan Dust is doing us a favor by suppressing any storm from forming, but what happens when there’s no long any dust to protect us? One storm after the other! So far, Covid-19 keeps rising here and has disrupted every human life on the planet. Now, the school year, for those who begin in August, has been postponed until after Labor Day, What usually happens in September? Right! The most active month for hurricanes! We thought it unusual for two hurricanes a week apart was not possible, well it did happen with IRMA & MARÍA. I just hope that CSU comes back with a downgraded hurricane season. That would be nice. We must be prepared for any and everything! May God bless us all. Isabel The “Pride of Barbados“ Is doing very well on St. Croix And so, ends another day End of Day photo |
| - July 13 - The Saharan Dust Prevails |
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When the region is embedded in an orange color as in the Saharan Air Layer chart It means that there’s a lot of dust around us. If one can stare into the sun as it sets like today, then there’s a thicker layer of dust. The sun looked like the full moon. Bizarre! So the day was grayish, even looked as if it would rain. Hopefully the trough,- a system that is forecast to go through the region between Wednesday and Friday will materialize to get rid of the gray. As for the Covid cases there were 10 additional ones bringing the a total to a whopping 217 cases. Be safe out there wherever you. May God bless us all. Isabel I was sure this meant rain this morning. Another hidden beauty End of Day photo. It was the best I could capture
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| - July 12 - Sun Day |
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Greetings! Hope it was a good one for you. Ours turned out sunnier than expected. A real Sun Day! It brings out people to the beaches and some are more crowded than they should be. An interesting scene unfolded at Cane Bay a few days ago. A little girl was playing with another little girl from another family who said that her father had the virus. The information was investigated and sure enough the man said he had the virus. Him and family where chased off the beach. The health department was called to report the case. Some people just don’t seem to get it. Many thousands have died, many more are dying, and youngsters bet on who will get it first at Covid-19 parties. One such youngster on the mainland was taken very sick to the hospital; he told the nurse that he thought the virus was all a hoax. He died a short while later. The results of virus cases for this day came in late. 25 new cases!. 24 in St. Croix and 1 in St. Thomas. The Governor is having a press conference tomorrow. Maybe he’ll decide the next step. This is getting out of control. And soon the storms are going to start rolling east to west. August to October is the peak of the hurricane season. We have to think seriously of how we are going to deal with these two “monsters”. Are we prepared? May God bless us all. Isabel Double beauty, shy and hidden. A turtle pile up—what’s the name of the game! END OF SUNDAY photo |
| - July 11 - R A I N ! |
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This has been an interesting weather day. Half of the day was dry and the rest has been rainy, on and off! We’re getting a good soaking! It rains as I write. I can hear the water falling into the cistern. A great sound! I can foresee abundant rain coming with all the storms predicted for this year. If they pass close enough we get lots of it. This year 20 name storms have been predicted; that should take us all the way to Vicky if the prediction is accurate. There are always some mean ones on the list. God help us. A major concern is how a run a hurricane shelter while having to practice social distancing. With almost half the number predicted to be hurricanes and of those four to be major, it has to be quite worrisome. This is the year of Covid-19 as well. These two forces have almost plotted together to cause extreme havoc. It’s quite a challenge. Last night it was reported that we had 14 new cases in the territory, 11 here and 3 in St. Thomas. Tonight, another 14 new cases, 12 here and 2 in St. Thomas. The reason that there are more here is because of the full flights from Miami, and the men at the refinery. The virus has been circulating there for months and it has gotten out into the Community. Once it’s out in the community it is difficult to track. While most people here are good at wearing a mask, others are very careless. It looks as if we will have to stay at home again that is, except for certain necessities, and walking for exercise. Stay tuned. May God bless us all. Isabel The rain cloud is watching us! Rain in the late afternoon and evening. End of day photo |
| - July 10 - Tracking TS Fay and Covid-19 |
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I was tracking the arrival of FAY in New York with one of my sons who lives in Queens. At 3:00 p.m. it seemed to be the worse. He said about the rain, “It’s coming down very hard now and the streets are flooding.” The Flash Flood warning was extended to 4:45. At 5:10 he said “Now the sun came out!” Then at 6:35 he said “Maybe it was just the eye.” It continued raining after the sun, but “not as heavy as before”. hard to believe that that was the 6th storm already. What is fearful are the remaining 14 name storms with 9 hurricanes, 4 major (Cat 3 + ) hurricanes predicted for this hurricane season. Well, our numbers of cases continue to rise. As a result this is today’s headline: THE TERRITORY COULD BE FORCED BACK UNDER STAY AT HOME RULES AS COVID-19 SURGES (from the St. Croix AVIS) Gov. Bryan is giving until next week to make that decision. I can see another order like that coming. The numbers have not stopped climbing since the virus spread into the community. It’s better to be safe, than sorry. As the saying goes. We shall see. We get the results of each day after 9:00 p.m. Be safe wherever you are. It is up to each one of us. May God bless us all. Isabel A calm and serene evening Another nice day coming to an end End of 7/10 photo |
| - July 9 - Tropical Storm FAY ! |
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Well, FAY is going to NY! Our children and grands are expecting it. This is now the 6th storm and according to the CSU we can expect 14 more name storms. That’s from the recent update. So, this is going to be a very rough time with both Covid-19 and the Storms competing for attention. Our number of cases in the territory jumped from 122 t0 144 yesterday, 13 of them are on St. Croix. Tonight it’s up to 153 with 7 of the nine new cases here. As the number increases there’s a very good chance that we can have someone standing next to us with the virus when we’re out there. That’s why the mask is so important. The N-95 mask is the only one that’s been proven impenetrable. The bandana is only good for looking like a bandit! Ha! I teased my son who in addition wore sunglasses and a hat. With the others you have to be at least 8 feet away from a sneeze or cough, and even then there’s no guarantee that you won’t be infected. What a mess we’re in! Let’s pray that we can pull through both the virus and the season after all is said and done. May God bless us all. Isabel Is there something going on in the sun? Beer Bread. Has anyone tried it as yet? I posted the recipe in June. Haven’t heard. What a life! End of day photo |
| - July 8 - A Fuzzy Kind of Day |
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Overcast skies prevailed today with a fuzzy kind of look very much like Saharan dust. Looking at the SAL chart, we are embedded in that orange color which means dust. Perhaps today’s forecasted rain was dried up by the dust. Along the Carolina coast there is a disturbance with a 70% potential of becoming the next name storm. Those storms often move upwards so we don’t have to worry about them. Our main concern will be the ones coming from Africa. That could already be beginning in August. Are we ready? Also, are we wearing our masks? Our number of cases is up to 122. Be safe. May God bless us all. Isabel F U Z Z Y ! F U Z Z Y ! STAIRS LEADING DOWN TO THE LOWER GARDEN END OF DAY PHOTO |
| - June 7 - The First Real TW Arrived! |
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What a nice treat today! A tropical wave with sheets of rain, rumblings of thunder, black sky to the east and and the sun peeking through the clouds to the west, the sunlight causing a double rainbow in the black sky to the east. What a fantastic painting. We finally got a good drenching! And it was a big surprise, that is, until I checked again and saw that Gert mentioned that the system to our south was going beyond those islands. I expected it would cross the Windwards. Thankfully, the “beyond” was us. We needed the rain up here. What we don’t need here are the Covid cases which are going up. From 76 for a long spell to 122 in a short space of time. Everyone is urged to wear the mask, but some people are not getting the message. Those of us who have seen the importance of it and follow the guidelines will hopefully be spared. Be safe out there. May God bless us all. Isabel Early morning majestic rain cloud in the distance. Later, rain for us too! Dark sky to the east. The double rainbow . End of day photo. The glare that caused the rainbow. |
| - June 6 - Cyclone EDOUARD Was Short-lived |
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Hello there! EDOUARD was the 5th storm of the season. Frightening to think what the rest of the season will have for us if this is only the beginning of July. This tells us how important it is to prepare early. I know that we in the Caribbean tend to be laid back until August because that’s when our hurricane season really starts, some even go as far as to say that September - October is our hurricane season. This year could surprise us with early storms as it has already with the Coronavirus. 2020 has been far from perfect. Below us, heading to Barbados, Granada, and the Windwards is a tropical wave marked with a yellow X; at most they should get gusty winds and heavy downpours.. Behind that is a trail from Africa of other waves. We may not get anything from those, but I must admit that we are having showers more frequently now. Let’s prepare as best we can for what may be a very bad season. May God bless us all. Isabel My Picture Window view today Is this some kind of a symbol in our late afternoon sky ? End of day photo: Sun with laser should have been pointing to the green blob. |
| - June 5 - The Day After the Fourth! |
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It was nice and peaceful, even had a wonderful downpour, until the evening news when chaos entered our peace and tranquility. I could hear the bedlam from the kitchen. Thankfully there are many means of escape at our house. Just looking out at the sea and the sky, and hearing the soft sounds of Jazz in the distance, was enough to restore peace of mind. I must say we have been blessed this day. The new Invest 98L in the GOM is projected to cross the Carolinas and out to sea following in the path of TD 5 by the looks of it. Talk about an active season! It looks as if July could be trying to surprise us with something substantial. Just hope it’s not a BIG one. I’m looking forward to the update from Colorado; that should be coming out soon. Be ready, everyone! May God bless us all. Isabel R A I N ! R A I N! R A I N! End of Day photo |
| - July 4 - Tropical Depression #5 |
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A fine day was had by us here, hope it was the same there. This day has produced a tropical depression, fortunately it’s above us and moving away from the coast. There are four tropical waves in the Atlantic heading toward the islands. Eventually, as the dust lifts, these waves are going to become dangerous storms. We hope not too soon. We had a shower early afternoon which washed the dust off our vehicles. That was a great treat! I was planning to use the hose! That was a great show from Mt Rushmore last night and now we are waiting for the Macy’s fireworks. In spite of everything, we have so much to celebrate. Be well, be happy, and may God bless us all. Isabel Happy 4th of July! Enjoy some Starfruit with sprinkled granulated sugar! Red, White, and Blue End of day photo |
| - June 3 - Happy Emancipation Day in St. Croix |
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This was a day to celebrate, since July 3,1848, when slavery was abolished here. We had very good weather for the celebrations, private and public if any nowadays. Usually these events take place in Frederiksted. Any beach celebrations would have had to end by 4:00 p.m. as new restrictions were imposed by Governor Bryan so that large gatherings do not continue through the night, especially camping. In the past this was not an issue, but the coronavirus has been rising in St. Croix. This restriction hopefully will lessen the number of cases. This afternoon we had an alert of a possible Tsunami caused by another earthquake along the coast in Western Puerto Rico. It did not amount to that, but very high waves were reported in the local weather news. Otherwise it was another hot day with a slight breeze and partly cloudy skies. We got a few drops courtesy of a passing rain cloud late afternoon. It’s going to be a happy sight when we see our green lawn again. If not, my grandson will be heading off to the U without haven't had one chance to mow the lawn! Have a very happy Independence Day tomorrow to those in the US or far away. There will be fireworks everywhere! We look forward to the ones from the top of the Empire State Building in NYC tomorrow evening. May God bless America and us all. Isabel Late afternoon shower, one really has to look hard to see it.  Red. White, and Blue (the top cluster) End of day photo - the Sun is resting on the mountain peak. |
| - July 2 - A Suspect in the Tropical Atlantic ? |
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One of the correspondents showed a new system in the Atlantic. Other than what I saw on Martha’s from Antigua’s update I was unable to get more information. However, like her we are all thirsting for rain and I do hope that perhaps we can get some from that system. There is a large system moving off the coast of Africa. That one definitely can develop given the right atmospheric conditions. There seems to be enough dust to keep it at bay. I will keep tracking the system in the Atlantic, you never know. Be well, follow the guidelines, and stay well. May God Bless us all. Isabel We sat on our porch and watched this nice shower pass us by !! In the meanwhile we had two water truck deliveries today. We can only order 3000 gallons at a time as a longer truck would not be able to make the turns coming up the hill. End of day photo. I was so busy writing this update that I missed the goodbye. |
| - July 1 - What Can We Expect? |
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We certainly don’t or shouldn’t expect any storms, but considering that June was unusually busy, it would be no surprise if we have another few this month also. Regardless if the season is going to be very active or not, we still have to prepare for the one that can hit us. Prepare as if it will hit us then we will be one step ahead. I remember when we were waiting for Hurricane Georges. We did everything we had to do and then we sat on the deck and waited. We were ready! We are looking forward to rain tomorrow, but there’s either high wind shear or dust residue that can hinder the rain. The coolness of rain embedded clouds reach us even if the rain moves on somewhere else. That’s a plus as it has been very hot and humid. Wearing a mask is especially uncomfortable now, but wear it we must. Our number of cases is up to 90 now. It goes to show that there is more activity as the full airplanes arrive. Mask up! May God bless us all Isabel Many years ago it was decided that the Electrical Plant should be built on prime property at the coast not far from downtown Christiansted. Now we have these freighters constantly passing by the sailboats, hotels and historic sites, to and from the plant. Promising clouds, but no rain. The Flamboyant Trees are blooming late because of the drought. End of day photo. It looks like fire and smoke, and some cloud creatures ready to devour each other. |
| - June 30 - Last Day of the First Month! |
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The calmest month of the hurricane season just went by with a few more disturbances than usual. What could that mean for July? Let’s take it a day at a time. First let us enjoy Emancipation Day and Fourth of July weekend remembering to keep social distancing, even if we know the folks very well. They could be carriers having been somewhere else. We would like to put the virus away forever, but alas, it ain’t going nowhere as yet.! We just have to know how to live safely with it until it’s out of here. I hope it won’t last two years! (That’s how long the Spanish Flu lasted, which was aka Swine Flu originating in Kansas.) I must say our weather has been very nice since the big plume moved on and remaining trail of dust was not as bad as the experts thought. We even had some rain and every now and then there’s moisture in the air. We could be getting some rain by Thursday, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. There are no disturbances in the Atlantic at the moment. There could be more dust coming along next week. I don’t like what I see coming off the coast of Africa. Good news is that dust suppresses any formation of storms. So, dust is not all that bad.The bad news is that it does not stick around during the worst part of the hurricane season when the big ones come across the tropical Atlantic. But as I said earlier in this post, let’s take it a day at a time. May God bless us all. Isabel Early morning clouds and flowers The honey bees are pleased with these flowers I see a person in the cloud formation. Do you? End of day photo |
| - June 29 - A Beautiful BLUE Day! |
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Well, well, well, that heavy surprise RAIN last night must have cleared the dust away. We expected another day of dust cover today. It was so beautiful from the first clouds at dawn to the last ones at sunset. We are truly grateful for the rain. Everything starts reviving right away. I’m finding more garden “greens” for the turtles. We consider them weeds but to the turtles that’s something special to munch on. So I weed and feed the turtles. Besides that they also get their usual fare of lettuce, veggies, fruit. They have quite a life. Which brings to mind the on-going Covid-19 Saga. We have three new cases today. It does not plan to go away any time soon. In the meanwhile, people are having to suffer the loss of a loved one without seeing them, or visiting them, like for instance my niece and her daughter were in a head on collision in Florida yesterday; thankfully they survived though with multiple injuries. At first the husband was not allowed into the hospital, but after some deliberation he was allowed to be with the daughter. It is very sad what’s happening as a result of this virus. Having volunteered at a hospital in NY for 11 yrs I know how important it is for a patient to have the support of a loved one during such a traumatic time; now most of the time, a nurse has to replace a family member. Our governor wants us to wear the mask from before we step out of our vehicle and everywhere we go, until we’re back in. The order is “MASK UP”! May God bless us all. Isabel Very early morning clouds. Soon the lawn wil be green again. The last hurrah of the day Evening Clouds |
| - June 28 - Tracking Invest 96L in the Tropical Atlantic |
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Hope everyone had a wonderful day. We sure did. Quality time with the family. The grandkids will be going off to the mainland, to Northeastern and Washington U before long. Time does not pause, it’s always on the move. And so is the hurricane season. We have a new invest 96L to track. So far it seems to be aiming high above the islands. However, as we know, these systems can change direction. That’s why tracking is so important especially when we get into August and September. The number of Covid cases in Florida are rising by the tens of thousands. Why I am so concerned is because it’s bad for them and also there are direct flights to St. Croix. The other islands have banned flights. Most of the people in church today were not wearing a mask. According to news from Germany one infected person attended a Service there and the virus spread throughout the congregation. When are we going to learn? It’s almost as bad as hurricane preparedness; some people wait until the last minute to prepare for an on coming hurricane. I heard a report today about how severe this season is promising to be. We have had 4 name storms and it’s only June. When the dust lifts once and for all the storms will have no problem getting through. Be safe, be prepared. May God bless us all. Isabel A gray Sunday Happiness in a tire; doing better than the ones that are not. The sun struggled to make an appearance at the end of the day. |
| - June 27 - Another gray, dusty day |
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However, it is suppose to be worse tomorrow and Monday. It certainly is affecting my throat. I will have to wear a mask on my porch. Not a bad idea with Covid -19 being an airborne virus. It can survive in the air for 8 hours, perhaps longer in the dust? Or can the dust kill it? We shall never know. I heard that the virus is skyrocketing in Arizona and Florida. I hope travel to and from Florida here will be banned. We have been doing better than most so far, but now with so many visitors, it can get quickly out of hand, especially with beaches possibly closing in Florida over the 4th of July celebration. Imagine when we not only have to worry about the Virus but also a threatening hurricane! One calamity after another. Are we prepared for both? A deathly ill person during a hurricane cannot be taken to the hospital, nor can an ambulance pick up the patient. A woman tried to take her ailing husband to Emergency with her daughter during hurricane MARÍA and had to turn back almost immediately. Her husband died at home. What an awfully, sad experience. We must be prepared for everything. May God bless us all. Isabel An ethereal world, our lower garden I discovered this little bunch of “Jump up and kiss me” flowers in an abandoned, makeshift planter in my driveway. I definitely have to paint it. This is the kind of sunset we get with dust. Not the awesome ones they have mentioned in the news. Our awesome ones happen on a clear, normal day. |
| - June 26 - The Dust is Back! Ugh! |
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We were told, and so it happened. The blue sky did not last long. I hope everyone enjoyed those blue photos. Now it’s all gray and colorless. However, we have had a wonderful breeze all day; the later the day, the cooler the breeze gets. We are still hoping for rain, but we know that it’s difficult with so much dust. The waves crossing the tropical Atlantic are being suppressed as far as the formation of storms, but occasionally some showers make it. The news of the dust made it all the way to Europe in the papers. Something like this does not happen often. It took 50 years for this one, or these two. Now to Covid news. Many young people who refused to follow the guidelines have been infected and while they survive it, they become carriers and pass it on to more vulnerable people who will not survive it. That’s something that has not sunk in as yet. Here the number of infected has been rising, the number of dead still stand at six. (Six too many.) The number is expected to continue rising with travel now in full swing; for that reason a special facility has been readied to handle the cases. Be safe out there! Now is not the time to break the rules, the guidelines. May God bless us all. Isabel Flowers provide much needed color. Facing West - the Sun with the accompanying green blob. |
| - June 25 - A Beautiful Day |
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We have a breather between one dust cover, and another? So, I heard. By the way, I did not write on the 25th as yet, until now. Somehow the updates are posted with the wrong date. I will try to check on that. We enjoyed beautiful weather on this 25th day of June and we look forward to the promised rain. The plants and cisterns benefitted greatly from yesterday’s rain. Strange enough, this year we had the best harvest of red plums even though we were having a drought. The plums were healthy (no worms), juicy and sweet like we have never had them before. I guess they did not depend on rain. Covid vs. 2020 hurricane season. How is it going? Well, so far we have had 4 name storms and yesterday we had 4 new cases of Covid on St. Croix. Two in the morning and two in the afternoon. This increase is worrisome, but was expected with everyone having “itchy travel wings”. At this rate, are we ever going to be Covid free? The more we revel against guidelines, the longer it will take. Be safe out there. May God bless us all. Isabel THIS IS MORE LIKE IT !! E N D O F D A Y Photo |
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STX Jason Yes we also have deer at our property in Frederiksted, they are multiplying and happy. We received a fair amount of rain yesterday, it washed the dust out of the fruit trees. A welcome event. Though not by any means scientific, the old farmers say then the Avocado trees are full a heavy storm season is upon us. Well my avocado trees are full. Lets all take the time to prepare. |
| - June 24 - Rain at Last !! |
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Last night the sky was clear enough to see the stars. What a relief!! It even sprinkled during the night as we saw the moisture on everything. But the biggest surprise were the two big downpours, not just passing showers. A thunder clap started the rain at noon. An answer to prayers. The ground and plants have been begging for rain. We hope there’s more to come. The sun was quite intense after the second rain. The US mainland is now gearing up for the dust storm. It’s making its way through the Caribbean. We have been so troubled by the dust that we did not even pay any attention to DOLLY, the 4th name storm of the Season. It is far up away from us. This is somewhat foreboding. So many storms so early. As much as we dislike the dust, they do suppress storms. I also read in yesterday’s report in the AVIS that the Weather Channel stated, “The dust helps build beaches in the Caribbean and fertilizes soil in the Amazon.” Not a bad exchange. We have two new COVID cases in the community; one is travel related. Meanwhile, on the mainland, the numbers are rising and expect to top 155,000 dead by the middle of July. Europe has now banned travel from the US. We must remain cautious during this Pandemic. Be well. May God bless us all. Isabel, Rain clouds, thunder clap, and RAIN ! End of day photo |
| - June 23 - The Dust Peaked Today |
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That’s according to the AVIS. Before I continue, yesterday’s post was dated the 23rd by Stormcarib. I dated it the 22nd. How did that happened, I don’t know. I do know that it was my daughter’s birthday. TODAY is the 23rd and I was so happy to learn from the experts that the dust is lifting and should be out of here by the Friday. AND if all goes well the forecast is for some rain over the weekend, followed by a “vigorous” tropical wave next Tuesday. We need rain now more than ever to wash away all the dust. I received a question today about the sea temperature in relation to the dust. I’m not an expert, all I know is that the sea surface temp (SST) has been warm for sometime because the heat was turned up earlier than usual this year. “Isn’t it kind of hot for May?” I said it and heard it from others. Now, the dust increases the air tempt. For example, according to the AVIS today the NWS Meteorologist Matt Brewer said that “the high concentration of dust particles is creating a very dry air mass across the islands. St. Croix had a maximum temp of 93 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, With the heat index reaching as high as almost 100 degrees. “ According to our info it felt like 112 degrees. That is more credible. Now because of this additional intense heat caused by the dust cover, I believe that it would also affect the tempt of the the sea as well. Our cisterns are above ground, so the C for cold on the faucet is more like W for warm. A very late night shower is cooler. COVID-19 and SAL (Saharan Air Layer) made us wear masks. Not a bad idea as both are detrimental to our health. Be safe out there. May God bless us all. Isabel The dust is lifting slowly. We did have more sunlight Today than the past days. This is a color photo, by the way. It seems as if the Sun is trying desperately to make another appearance before this fuzzy day ends. Perhaps tomorrow we shall see more blue. |
| - View of Buck Island through the sand haze. |
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Attached pic of Buck Island STX.
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| - June 22 - SAL, the Suppressor |
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We have had the second straight day of very dense dust. It is a huge plume which stretches from West Africa, through the Caribbean and heading to the mainland. The good news is that it suppresses any chance for storms to form at this time, not that there are so many forming in June. Certainly it’s good for the GOM and Northeast coast where so many have formed in the past. By the looks of it, the season should be less active than very active as originally thought. Let’s wait and see what Colorado and other reports look like. Perhaps it will be downgraded. That would be a big plus in our favor as we’re currently dealing with Covid-19 . The numbers are rising in many places and we’re having many visitors from those places. We were having lunch at a Boardwalk restaurant today and one can tell by the number of people getting off and on Big Beard’s boat to Buck Island National Park that visitors are plentiful. Let’s be safe, not sorry. May God bless us all. Isabel View of the boardwalk with a reminder of hurricane MARIA’s destruction of the pier in the background. It was very breezy from the east, the route of the dust plume. I saw the sun briefly like yesterday. This can go on for a long time judging by the immense plume of dust which looks never ending. |
| - June 21 - A Very Dusty Fathers’ Day today! |
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Greetings to all Dads out there! Hope you feel blessed and happy. Fathers here have to be careful if they suffer from asthma or any other respiratory ailments. Anyone with those conditions were urged to stay indoors. The dust was so dense that the Sun did not stand a chance. Finally at the end of the day a silver disk became visible. You could look straight at it without any discomfort. Now we know how it looks on a foggy day in London. In spite of that we had a great day. Among other things we did a zoom meeting with the kids in New York. It is always fun to meet in that way and share. New York is going into phase two of the re-opening. Many people are still afraid and are not ready to venture out. Same here. It is going to be difficult to get back to normal, but it’s not the first pandemic. There have been others and eventually life goes back to normal. Hopefully many lessons have been learned during this time. Stay well. Those of you who are not well, get well soon. May God bless us all. Isabel, A dusty view this time. The Sun finally visible at the end of the day - a silver disk in the sky! |
| - June 20 - The Dust Plume |
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It was very windy and dusty all morning and everyone’s vehicle should have a fine layer of dust. We went over to the Cay and had a nice soaking in the sea. It was calm there, but the 1 minute Ferry had a very choppy ride over. The clouds were thick with the sun shining through at intervals. It was a good mix. I am still amazed at the many boats here. According to info I heard other islands are closed to boat visitors so they’re all coming here. The question is: Are they being tested as are arrivals at the airport ? It is not surprising that the numbers are rising in many places. The Ferry to the Cay only allows 6 passengers with masks. Then we saw from the boardwalk a large group of tourists leaving in another boat all ready to party. No masks and were crowded together. It only takes one with the deceptive virus to spread through the community. We are not out of the woods as yet. For that reason this past week, the CDC reemphasized the wearing of masks, and all the guidelines, including cleaning doorknobs, etc, with hand sanitizer. Be safe out there. It’s a Covid-19 world! May God bless us all! Isabel A special Fathers’ Day Greeting to all the Dads out there. Have a wonderful day and allow yourselves to be spoiled! And may you have the kind of weather you like. Across from the Christiansted fort at the Cay The Coconut Weather Station on the Boardwalk |
| - June 19 - What a Beautiful Day! |
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Think about this for a moment. There are countries when a good part of the year is dark and cold. There are other’s where the sun never sets. It kisses the horizon and starts rising again. When we were in Finland, that was the case. There were heavy, dark curtains on the windows, so that when you said “good night” it looked like night, inside. It was endless day outside. We have a great climate. It’s warm, then hotter in the afternoon, then refreshingly cool by evening on our hill. The sky is blue during the day and starry at night. Here, night starts descending with the setting sun, and soon it’s dark. We are so grateful that our daylight ends at 7:00 p.m. in the Summer months, otherwise, it ends much earlier later towards the end of the year. It’s a comfortable pattern. When frequent spotty showers drench the land everything is greener, brighter. So far, our drought continues, but it was a beautiful day. Have a good night. May God bless us all. Isabel Our lawn is parched. The sky is blue. No rain in sight. The Sea Grape tree is losing all its leaves. On the other hand, the crimson Frangipani flowers are gloriously triumphant. And the Sun bid us goodbye yet another day. |
| - June 18 - Saharan Dust Pauses Hurricane Season! |
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That’s a lucky break for a season that was supposed to be very active. The plume of dust is so thick and will reach so far to the mainland that it will suppress any possibility of a TS or hurricane forming. Then what? For us the the season really begins in August. That’s still a way off and many other things can happen. The best thing is to be prepared but enjoy each day as it comes. Right now we are having some beautiful weather, though somewhat hotter than usual. By the looks of it we will probably not have rain any time soon, on the other hand, my husband heard that there’s rain on the TV forecast for Monday/Tuesday. We won’t hold our breath. We do hope that whatever happens it will enhance rather than ruin the Fathers’ Day and Birthday weekend. Be well. May God bless us all. Isabel The end of a another beautiful day. The only photo I captured today. The two night shots were taken much earlier when the kittens were smaller and real cute and the lizards began their night escapades on the Avocado leaves. |
| - June 16 - We got Pretend Rain today |
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Well, finally, some moisture in the air! A bit last night, and another bit late this afternoon. If that’s all we can get for now, I’ll take it, I know there will be lots coming later. I understand that at this time the waves are very low and only T&T and the Windwards benefit the most. But even there, the dry air (SAL) is delivering dry tropical waves. Incredible that there can be a dry tropical waves. We can boast of beautiful weather that’s for sure. We’ve never seen so many boats outside of high season. At this time of year people go away on vacation, but most people have had to cancel their plans because of the virus, including my kids. They were going all the way to the Canary Islands, and other places in Europe. Some of you reading this have probably had a similar experience. It is better to be safe than sorry. The virus numbers is growing in some places. We have to make sure we take the necessary precautions. So, take care of yourselves and don’t be afraid to try the Beer Bread! I haven’t received any feedback so it almost seems as if no one tried it. Be well, be happy and may God bless us all. Isabel Not even a drought can keep these beauties back. Can you see our late afternoon rain ? Today’s sunset ( with the green blob). |
| - June 16 - Two Disturbances in the Atlantic |
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Nothing to worry about. One is hugging the North/South Carolina coast and the other is on the way to Trinidad/Tobago with possible gusty winds and heavy rain. As I write I can look across to the other islands and see rain streaming from voluminous clouds. Is it falling on land though. We shall find out from the correspondents there. Our Tuesday rain has moved to Wednesday morning. We must always be hopeful. Today there was a constant breeze which made it rather pleasant. Each day is unique. Virtual hugs as we meet friends is a sad but necessary thing. Each day we hear in the news about the rise of many new cases. It so happens that while we are tired of social distancing and virtual hugs, Covid 19 is not tired of us and seems to want to stick around for a long time. That is when we must do our very best to avoid it by wearing masks, avoiding crowded places, and keeping a distance. Be well, be happy, and may God bless us all. Isabel Our sunset today (with the green blob) Rain streaming from clouds across from us This one says it all! |
| - June 15 - Half Past June! |
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Hope everyone’s well. We are fine, thank you. We are keeping track of things, especially, in my case, the waves that are crossing the Tropical Atlantic. Still hoping for rain. Tuesday night could be promising. The days continue hotter than hot. It got hot way too early. Our Uni grandkids will be happy to get away to much cooler temps when school resumes in Aug/Sept. That is, if it resumes. At Northeastern the students will have the choice of studying online in their rooms if they do not feel comfortable around other people in a classroom setting. The point is that the university will open with new guidelines. It’s been a long retreat away from everything. The kids are anxious to get back to a normal school year and friends. I have made the best of my retreat. Hope you did too. May God bless us all. Isabel This color does not look real, but I checked it and it was the original color at high noon. The relentless dry heat. Fortunately, it’s much cooler outdooors at night. This is an example of a strong house. None of the powerful hurricanes in recent memory nor as far back as HUGO could bring this house down. The roof stayed on when many did not. A fire gutted it a couple years ago, but left it standing, roof still on. What is it going to take to bring it down? The wild plants are beginning to take it over. Maybe they will cover it entirely and let it rest quietly in peace. |
| - June 14 - Quiet Daze |
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This is the time to enjoy the weather as we prepare for what may come. Perhaps nothing will come, but if anything comes, we should be prepared. Yesterday I saw one of my notes and it was about Hurricane BETSY. It shook us, but swerved away without making impact. But then it took its toll in other places. Many died. As prepared as we may be sometimes it is not enough. And sometimes we can have a storm form when it’s almost at our door that’s why we must prepare early. So during this quiet spell, let us not remain in a daze by the splendor of such a blessing. Prepare and be well. May God bless us all. Isabel Rapid end of another day; the green blob visits the turtles. The turtles at supper Have a good night all! |
| - June 13 - Such Beautiful Days |
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It is not surprising that many people are traveling here at a time when they are generally fleeing the thought of a hurricane. Perhaps later as it gets to the heart of the season, it will be different. Right now it’s ideal, the weather is nice, the people are nice, there’s food and drink, and a beautiful Caribbean Sea to enjoy or simply to lounge on the sand. There is so much unrest on the mainland that that propels people who can to fly out of there for a break, some peace of mind. Last night we were surprised by a good downpour. We get rain alerts often, but not necessarily for us. We are thankful for every drop of rain at the moment. The drought is not over as yet. Neither is Covid19. Let’s hope it does not last two years like the Spanish Flu in 1918 that killed between 50 -100 million people. Be safe out there. May God bless us all. Isabel Some young people, with the support of teachers and permission of local authorities, organized a rally in solidarity with the peaceful protests on the mainland It was well attended. People were spread out to practice social distancing. The speeches were interesting, there was music and poetry, and the sun was intense. Protestant Cay was directly across with its enticing beach and no doubt, a grill. A small one-minute ferry takes passengers over to the Cay from the end of this sidewalk, in front of the King Christian Hotel. The sky looks busy, but not with rain. |
| - June 12 - Rumblings in the distance |
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It has been rather hot and humid here. True, can’t help wondering what August will bring if we’re already experiencing August Temps now. There’s a lot of activity to our west over Hispaniola that could have produced the rumblings I heard earlier. I can’t help stressing enough the importance of getting prepared early. I’m getting the impression that this year will continue to be difficult in more ways than one. Covid 19 is definitely not ending any time soon by the looks of it on the mainland. Not surprising with so many people being rebellious about the restrictions. All we can do is take it a day at a time and stay clear of danger and hope for the best. Be well, be happy, and may God bless us all. Isabel Looked promising, but just a sprinkle in our neighborhood Better luck farther west The sun’s farewell-until tomorrow |
| - June 11- A Blob East of the Windwards |
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The Blobs are coming! I noticed that those that came off the coast are a bit higher. Those often come in our direction. All we want is rain. We were so happy for the rain yesterday. Today’s rain was “postponed” for tomorrow. We just had an overcast day with some interesting clouds. We’ll see about tomorrow. In the meanwhile, take good care of yourselves. The number of Covid cases have gone up on the mainland since Memorial Day weekend. Here, no one is allowed into any establishment without a mask. Only a certain number of people are allowed in a smaller store at one time. Distancing is encouraged all the time. The person next to us could unknowingly be carrying the virus. That’s how it spreads especially if the guidelines are not being observed. Be careful. May God bless us all. Isabel This was one of the signs of possible rain today. Just peeking through Faithful orchids still hugging Hurricane Maria’s downed Divi-Divi tree trunk. |
| - June 10 - Tropical Disturbance to our south |
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I think we are going to see a lot of disturbances and potential storms and storms this season. Whether we are impacted will not be known until and if one does. The fact that there’s a lot of activity at this early stage could only mean that it’s going to get worse the deeper we get into the season. We still need rain so the tropical waves are every important to us. There are many waves heading across the Atlantic as I write. Another wave should come by tomorrow to give us the rain in the forecast. Maybe that’s the one that gave Grenada so much rain today. Hopefully it does. Be well, everyone. May God bless us all.. Isabel This morning a Cloud Family passed by Evening at the pier From the porch - irresistible! |
| - June 9 - A Copious Tropical Wave Today |
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Finally, RAIN ! Our tall blue tank is almost full to the brim! I hope everyone got their share. This must have been one of the tropical waves that was on the way. There’s more rain in the forecast for Thursday and Friday. With all the waves coming off the coast of Africa we should be in for some activity sooner or later unless the Saharan dust stifles them. Let’s not wait too late to get things in order. We just got a long check list of all the things we need to have in stock during this hurricane season. It was an insert from Cost U Less made available through the newspaper. One can stick it on the wall or fridge as a reminder. The Governor was not too pleased that people are not wearing their masks. Full planes are coming in and although the passengers have to wear masks during the flight, it is soon off once outside. Too many people too close together is asking for trouble. It only takes one to wipe out a whole family. We are still in a State of Emergency which means that the guidelines are still in place. Please let’s be cautious. Let’s survive this Pandemic and the hurricane season. May God bless us all. Isabel Very early this morning the sea was like glass.  The flags on the Overlook at the Bypass.  Heavy rain A magnificent way to end the day |
| - June 8 - Is DOLLY in the wings? |
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Hi! Not to get you concerned, but reading Dave’s update, I caught on that there’s a system, above us, with a 10% chance of developing into the next name storm. It would be going away from us, hopefully. He added that it could meet with CRISTOBAL. The one that could be of concern is the wave splashing off of the coast of Africa. It could have some potential threat, but he thinks it can get caught in the ITCZ, that being the case it cannot do much, at least not to us. We have to be careful that we do not let our guard down too soon. Recently, a passenger arriving at the airport had fever, was tested and had the virus. If he had not been caught he could have spread the virus in the community. The VI Territory has lost six people, three from the same family, those were in St. Croix. The number of dead very low compared with other places. We have been very careful, staying indoors, going out only when necessary with caution using the proper guidelines, and now with all the visitors arriving, I understand that the hotels are fully booked, it can become very dangerous. Normally at this time of year visitors are few because of the hurricane season, but now they are fleeing the virus and the calamity on the mainland to a safer place. It makes me think that perhaps that’s why the National Guard and the Hospital have teamed up to open a 24-bed facility to handle an upsurge of the virus. Be safe out there. Create your own safe guidelines if necessary. May God bless us all. Isabel Can the sky be bluer than blue? This is some coded message...Is it a three or a sideways M? This was the sky to the west same time, at noon, as above. And this, the evening clouds |
| - June 7 - A Hot, Dry, Sunday |
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It was another one of those days where our hopes for rain were dashed. Beautiful days compared to other places, but we need that blessing from the sky in abundance every now and then. I think about the farmers and how stressed they must be. I know that the day will come when we are getting so much rain that we will beg it to stop. Ha! Isn’t it always that the way? Hope it was a good, happy day for you. Be safe. May God bless us all. Isabel SUN day photos |
| - June 6 - Oh, What a Beautiful Day ! |
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Isn’t it always so in paradise? Yes, but today we had a couple of showers! There is definitely some activity in the area. It has also been very breezy. One of the two waves is approaching the islands. For us it could mean rain by Monday unless it’s moving faster. Whenever it arrives it will be most welcome. Two deer were on the road as I drove down this morning. They are looking for water. Unfortunately, their thirst puts them in extreme danger. It becomes deer-hunting season. According to information that Gert put together, only two storms formed in the tropical Atlantic in June between ‘44 and 2019. The rest of the 57 formed to our west, GOM and Northeast coast. We can just hope that we will be storm free this month. Be safe out there and be ready for this hurricane season. May God bless us all. Isabel We went to Mermaid Beach at Buccaneer Hotel. We were tested for fever at the gate, had to wear masks until we arrived at the beach itself. We were the only ones in that lovely sea. Fortunately our beach outing was sandwiched between two showers; one before and one after. |
| - June 5 - CRISTOBAL is a TS again! |
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Hello folks in the GOM! CRISTOBAL looks large and threatening. Huge amounts of rain is expected well inland. Water is more dangerous than wind. We got a good amount of gusty wind this morning when some effects of the tropical wave came by. There was a funeral at our church and the wind was really blowing in. My sister’s flight from Florida came in half an hour early. Good tail wind.! So, just wind in the morning and a drop or two. That’s about the extent of our weather today. Now it seems that we have to wait until next week to see some substantial rain. Our big blue tank is just about empty. In the meanwhile, the Atlantic to our east looks clear. Whatever happened to that big TW I was watching. Everyone out there, take care of yourselves. It’s not over, so do not relax the guidelines. Be good, live long. May God bless us all. Isabel This Flamboyant tree bloomed later than usual. The red local plum tree should be covered with leaves to protect the fruit. The sun’s last hour of the day. |
| - June 4- TS CRISTOBAL Now a Depression! |
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That’s great news, in a way. Depressions do pack an abundance of RAIN. So such a downgrade while good is still bad, especially if it’s a slow moving system. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemies if I had any. All we want is plain, simple rain. No big deal, but oh so necessary. Now, one thing I don’t understand. We have been having some long, hot, dry weeks and yet my sister’s mango tree is bearing an abundance of fruit. I thought less rain, less fruit. Well, as a result of so much fruit covering the tree, the word is out that the tree is predicting a hurricane. That is a common belief among locals. We hope the tree is not right, but in the meanwhile thanks for the fruit. We’re enjoying them and sharing them out to mango loving friends. The first of the two tropical waves to our east looks kind of wimpy, but the second ones looks like something to keep an eye on. It’s large and round and we should be expecting it by next Wednesday according to Chris Bolt’s sources. Let’s enjoy our “last“ Pandemic days safely. May God bless us all. Isabel It’s so hard to resist photos of the sea and activity. This was high noon again, This is my pooch Benji pretending he doesn’t know I’m taking a picture. He was cooling out on the tiles. And with reason! The Weather Puppy is showing us how hot it was at that time. |
| - June 3 - Celebrating my 20th Anniversary with Stormcarib! |
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It was Hurricane LENNY which prompted me to become a correspondent. My grandson was born in Spain when Lenny was heading to St. Croix. He was 20 yrs old last November. How the years have passed by! Now here we are again, hoping that this season will be kind. BUT we need R A I N !! Are we getting it this weekend? The Water Truck visited us today to refill an emptying cistern. I prefer water from Heaven though. We continue wearing masks, but we don’t have to wear them at home. So, I’ll invite you to beat the Pandemic Blues with Beer Bread. I sent out this recipe to friends and they liked it. If you feel so inclined: 3 cups of Self Rising Flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 can or bottle of beer. Stir and mix well. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45 - 50 mins in a 350 oven. The tutorial (5 Minute Beer Bread) is on YouTube if you need it. Enjoy! Thanks to all who have welcomed me back so far. That was very nice. I always return on June 1 and try to stick around until Nov. 30. I look forward to sharing with you and reading all the current updates from all the correspondents. Let’s all lift a glass to Gert for his great website.! And to Dave for his weather wisdom! Isabel The fort is being repainted. With so much green, who would think we are having a drought! And Mangos..?? These are the first ones from my sister’s tree. |
| - June 2 - Already the third name storm? |
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Hello again! Believe it or not, a third storm CRISTOBAL was named this morning at 11:00 a.m. What does this tell us? That we have to rush our hurricane preparations. This season is looking extremely active. There are two tropical waves coming from Africa. Possibly St. Croix will get some rain, but it looks as if it will pass us to the south on Friday, the second one is a bit higher. There is way too much activity, too early in the season. Everyone is so concerned about the Coronavirus, that they have not given the hurricane season much of a thought, especially since we are not usually affected by storms until August and September. However, there are concerns by VITEMA about “social distancing being an issue for 2020 hurricane season sheltering” as the headline read yesterday. Extra shelters must become available in order to avoid the virus. What a year this has been and continues to be. Everyone, stay safe, protect yourselves. The virus is very active and deceitful. May God bless us and protect us. Isabel We almost got some rain out of this cloud. It rained somewhere else. The ground is very dry. We hope it gets some relief with the TWs soon. Fortunately, some bougainvillea bunches have survived to give us joy. |
| - 2020 Hurricane Season v. Covid 19 |
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Hello Caribbean Neighbors and friends far and wide! Good to be back! I’m alive and well! I hope all our followers are too.! Well, this year is different, isn’t it! I remember the revelry we had here at home as we celebrated the New Year! Then the news started seeping in ever so slowly that there was something going on in Wuhan. Many people were dying from an unknown virus. It was later identified as the Novel Coronavirus aka Covid 19. It became a global pandemic. The rest is ongoing history. Now we have an active, or very active hurricane season to deal with. There were two name storms already in May, a disturbance above us 92L which flooded Puerto Rico and St. Thomas, and now one rapidly developing in the Yucatán region. That one is heading out to sea and once there could very well be the next name storm. As Dave informed us, the Sea Surface Temperature ( SST) Is very warm, wind sheer will be low this time, and the Saharan dust will not snuff out the systems coming from the Sahara as it was prone to do. In other words, we are wide open for anything coming from Africa. There is a 58% chance that a storm will be going through the Caribbean. I look at the list of names and wonder which will be the culprit, or culprits. Last year DORIAN was the beast! Let’s hope and pray that it will not be as bad as they say. Perhaps the next update will bring better “tidings”. This Pandemic has kept me in for weeks at a time and I couldn’t resist writing that book that we all have up our sleeves but never have time, or enough encouragement to begin. Mine is a companion book to my husband’s which Amazon published for him last year. So, I’ve been very busy, but hope to keep up with updates and photos. The first photo is my signature photo. Be well. May God bless us all. Isabel This photo was taken around noon. Our drought continues relentlessly. It is very hot and dry everyday, no rain in sight. Looking forward to the first tropical waves from Africa. Be safe, be prepared everyone! |
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