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- - - 2009 Hurricane Season - - -

- Grand Bahama Tornados
  • By "Katybel Taylor" <katybel86 at gmail.com>
  • Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2010 18:52:22 -0400

Yes, Grand Bahama experienced several tornado touchdowns on Monday the 29th of April.  At least two originated as waterspouts and a few more were watched forming in the clouds and dropping down in the usual behavior….well certainly not usual behavior for weather on Grand Bahama!

The frontal system started passing over the island shortly after 10am.  My son and I stood looking to the Northeast watching the lightning and thunder as my husband rushed around turning off the computers etc!  It was extremely loud thunder and lightning almost simultaneously.  Suddenly it got quite dark and the trees were bent over…I remember saying “those are hurricane force winds out there!”.  Little did we know that 2 blocks over a street full of houses were losing their roofs as one of the tornadoes passed.  A friend who works in the harbor called with the news of the Container port damage and reported lucayan damage. We hopped into the car and were soon able to trace the exact path the Lucaya tornado took.

The waterspout came on shore at Island Seas resort.  I believe there were two of them as people there spoke of a “5 minute long eye before the 2nd half passed.”  Used to hurricanes they didn’t know that tornados don’t have an “eye” that big. 

Yes, we unfortunately had 3 deaths at the container port when one of the cranes went over.  A tragedy.  And another tragedy is that we no longer had a weather station at our “state of the art” international airport!!!  It has been closed for 3 months and our weather advisories come out of Nassau.  Not very helpful on Monday as someone in Freeport had to call Nassau and tell them what had happened.  WE WANT OUR WEATHER OFFICE BACK PLEASE BEFORE THE HURRICANE SEASON STARTS!!!

We all hope that this was just a freak occurrence.  We would much rather have our hurricanes than a very scary tornado!!


- Here's what i found... From a local news website
  • By Sherilyn Vaughan-Ambrose <kahrahmel at gmail.com>
  • Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:24:13 -0400

http://www.tribune242.com/news/03292010_tornadoes_news


--
♥ S.Vaughan-Ambrose

- Sorry wrong first link
  • By Sherilyn Vaughan-Ambrose <kahrahmel at gmail.com>
  • Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:19:46 -0400
But there was a tornado in Freeport, Grand Bahama today. I dont know all the info, but it looks terrible on the local news. Will see if one of the locals weather online sites has it and will post it to you.

--
♥ S.Vaughan-Ambrose

- Tornado in Freeport, Grand Bahama
  • By Sherilyn Vaughan-Ambrose <kahrahmel at gmail.com>
  • Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:16:45 -0400
http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c=45&a=15812

and press release made by one of the ministers


- IDA Winds?
  • By "Katybel Taylor" <katybel86 at gmail.com>
  • Date: Sun, 8 Nov 2009 16:07:50 -0500

High seas and strong winds here today.  They are saying 18 mph but I think they are gusting to at least 25 if not more.  Not good for the beaches…..

 


- FW: Winter on the way?
  • By "Katybel Taylor" <katybel86 at gmail.com>
  • Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:24:13 -0500

 

It has been an incredibly hot and humid summer for the Bahamas this year.  We arrived back from our northern adventures Oct 18th expecting the weather to start feeling like Fall.  Not this year.  The long expected first cold front passed giving nice breezy temps for a few days and then WHAM it was right back to September temperatures.  Planting seeds in the vegetable garden has been a challenge as we have had to water twice a day and sleeping at night with no AC has been borderline.  Everyone agrees that it has been a most unusual fall.

Yesterday another cold front arrived and we are all keeping our fingers crossed for Fall to finally begin.  Unfortunately it will whip up the ocean just in time for the Conchman Triathlon on Saturday, but beggars can’t be choosers I will take the rough seas and enjoy the cooler breezes.

It’s a beautiful time of year here on Grand Bahama, come down and join us.

 

 


- June Weirdness
  • From: "Katybel Taylor" <katybel86 at gmail.com>
  • Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:12:56 -0400

I went on a scuba diving trip to the Exuma cays the first week of June.  The ocean was rough and we had cool rainy weather most of the week.  The day I returned the seas calmed, the skies cleared and the temperature and humidity really ramped up. It has stayed that way for most of the month.  Calm seas off Grand Bahama are unusual in June and July.  By the end of the month several people here have commented that we are experiencing August and September weather not June.  When we have had rain it has been strong and we have had incredible lightning displays with lighting strikes damaging a few homes and boats.  Today we have a string of rain showers crossing the island temporarily dropping the temperature; a blessed relief.  Who knows what July is going to be like, someone else will have to report as it is time to head for the Mountains for vacation!

 

PS: The diving in Exuma is excellent, (Aquacatcruises.com) and swimming with the wild pigs at Staniel Cay is hilarious. 


- Happy Father's Day
  • From: "Katybel Taylor" <katybel86 at gmail.com>
  • Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:05:22 -0400

Its 81 degrees , sunny and feels like 101 degrees here on Grand Bahama.  A good day for all the Fathers out there to lay on the couch and watch golf.

Last week we had a break from the rain with 7 days of hot dry weather.  Now we are in a more tropical cycle of an afternoon storm each day.  Yesterday we had a Hard 20 minute rain with thunder and lightning.  Our weather seems to be a bit stronger and fiercer these days.

I also noticed that the Bahamas along with Mexico have a higher probability of Huricane landfall this year than the rest of the Carribbean…..hummmm hope that’s incorrect data!

Good luck to all and good day.

 

 

 

 

 

The definition of character is what you do when no one is looking.  beck weathers

 


- Wet Wet Wet
  • From: "Katybel Taylor" <katybel86 at gmail.com>
  • Date: Sat, 23 May 2009 18:51:17 -0400

 

Well, Its been raining cats, dogs, chickens, lizards, fish, lobster, pots, pans and just about everything else the skies can throw at us this week.  One could surmise that the drought is over on Grand Bahama Island.  After no really substantial rainfall since November we are lush, green and beautiful again.  Now if only the sun would come out.  Hopefully this week this system will start to break up and we can get on with Summer.  Not, that the respite from hot humid weather is not welcome….but enough is enough!

 


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