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- Updates from the Islands -- - St.Croix (USVI) - - |
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| - Goodbye and Thank you! |
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Dear friends of stormcarib near and far, this day ends the official hurricane season. I will not be posting until the beginning of the next. God willing I will be fit enough to keep posting and sending photos. I have received great comments about both. Feel free to write to me if you wish. Have a wonderful, happy, peaceful Christmas or whatever you celebrate, and may the new year 2016 be a kind one. Thank you very much Gert! May God bless us all. Be safe! Isabel p.s. You might have heard of a newborn baby boy which was abandoned in a church in Queens, NY. He was found in the Nativity Scene which was being set up. It was during a break that the woman left the child there. It has made quite a Christmas story! My son who is the secretary has been interviewed countless times. People are calling from as far as Hawaii and Brazil to adopt the baby. Probably YouTube would have the story. Sorry I don't have the link handy.
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Good bye and Thank you.... |
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To Gert for providing the site, to all who read the posts, "loved" the photos, and wrote wonderful comments, thank you! I will no longer post until June 1, 2016, however, if something big happens I will update. Stay well, enjoy one day at a time, most of all, stay sober and alert to welcome the Messiah. May God bless us all. Very best wishes, Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Good bye and Thank you... |
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To Gert for this great website, to all who read the posts, and "loved" the photos, thank you. I wish you all the best of health and happiness as we enter a time of expectation all around. So many events happening, so much pain like our two friends hospitalized with Aneurysms, but in the midst there is always tremendous joy, like the newborn baby boy found in my son's parish in Queens, NY, in the Nativity which was being prepared for the season. During a break a woman entered with the baby and left him there. It made such news as if Baby Jesus Himself was the one. My son was interviewed many times and many people called from as far as Hawaii and Brazil to adopt the little one. Just today PEOPLE Magazine asked for an interview, as well as a Brazilian newspaper GLOBO. It goes on and on. He'll tell us all about it in person when he comes to spend a week with us us at Christmas. This is the third Good bye post I've written this evening. This one is without a photo because I'm writing on the computer. The others did not seem to go out, but I notice one got through, maybe the other will also. It seems so terribly slow. If you do not receive the second one, a different photo, I will send only the photo. I think you'll like it. Stay well and enjoy one day at a time. May God bless us all. Isabel |
| - Goodbye and Thank you! |
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Dear friends of stormcarib near and far, this day ends the official hurricane season. I will not be posting until the beginning of the next. God willing I will be fit enough to keep posting and sending photos. I have received great comments about both. Feel free to write to me if you wish. Have a wonderful, happy, peaceful Christmas or whatever you celebrate, and may the new year 2016 be a kind one. Thank you very much Gert! May God bless us all. Be safe! Isabel p.s. You might have heard of a newborn baby boy which was abandoned in a church in Queens, NY. He was found in the Nativity Scene which was being set up. It was during a break that the woman left the child there. It has made quite a Christmas story! My son who is the secretary has been interviewed countless times. People are calling from as far as Hawaii and Brazil to adopt the baby. Probably YouTube would have the story. Sorry I don't have the link handy.
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Stormy Conditions |
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Good evening! The photo tells it all. This morning we had torrential rain, with passing showers other times, a thunderstorm this afternoon, and so on. According to NOAA Weather Radio these conditions are going to continue through the night to Sunday morning. As I write there's another heavy downpour. I hope the visitors are able to get a good amount of sunshine during their stay. Have a good night and may God bless us all. Isabel
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| - Change of Weather |
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Good night, All! The Folks of Old used say that when the moon has a large ring around it, like tonight, a change of weather was imminent. In fact, Weather Underground has drenching rain in the forecast, but not necessary to call for a Flash Flood Watch. They are still watching it. The day was mostly sunny as in the photos of the Wharf area this morning. One day at a time. May God, our Heavenly Father, bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - A Great Day |
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Yes and No. My husband has to part with his beloved old vehicle and it's tough. Otherwise, the day was a blessing in itself. Weather was perfect. Gardening is s breeze, with the soft soil due to all the passing showers. The breeze is delightful. We have lots of "thanks" for Thanksgiving Day and beyond. Hope you do to. May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - Beautiful Mixed Weather Bag |
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Hello, out there, near and far! It's almost the end of the official Hurricane Season. In the meanwhile we can be grateful that we were not hit by several super storms as some places have been. Our weather is currently very pleasant. Because of the moisture in the surroundings with a brief passing shower at any moment, the air feels somewhat like air conditioning on our hill. Very pleasant! And everything is blooming! May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - After a Stormy Night... |
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The gift of another beautiful day! May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - A Showery Sunday |
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Goodnight, all! My grandson got this rainbow for his 16th birthday first thing this morning. My granddaughter took the picture. This entire week is going to be wetter than the last. We are grateful that we can have both sunshine and rain. It can pour and the next minute the sky is blue! Hope you all had a wonderful day. Remember, we only live one day at a time in our journey Home. May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - November Clouds |
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It has been an interesting ending, soon to be, of the Hurricane season; but is it really ending soon? I see a huge TW coming off the coast of Africa. At this time of year those waves are not a common sight anymore. However, Climate Change has changed the usual way of things. We can no longer say what applied last year will apply today. It's a matter of surprise even in Nature and weather patterns. So, is it the almost end of the Hurricane Season? Let's hope and pray. May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - T S KATE ! |
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Hello! We got battered by wind and rain by a TW/trough combination over the weekend, which became Tropical Storm KATE in the vicinity of the Bahamas! Lightning knocked out phone and Broadband Internet here Saturday to Monday evening; had some on and off torrential rain of short duration. It was not as bad as had been forecasted and expected. There's another big mess on satellite imagery but nothing much is expected at least not rain wise. It's very windy from time to time and the sea is far from friendly. Hazardous is the word in this case. The Hurricane Season could still have some more surprises for us. Be well. May God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - T S KATE ! |
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Hello! We got battered by wind and rain by a TW/trough combination over the weekend, which became Tropical Storm KATE in the vicinity of the Bahamas! Lightning knocked out phone and Broadband Internet here Saturday to Monday evening; had some on and off torrential rain of short duration. It was not as bad as had been forecasted and expected. There's another big mess on satellite imagery but nothing much is expected at least not rain wise. It's very windy from time to time and the sea is far from friendly. Hazardous is the word in this case. The Hurricane Season could still have some more surprises for us. Be well. May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - T S KATE ! |
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Hello! We got battered by wind and rain by a TW/trough combination over the weekend, which became Tropical Storm KATE in the vicinity of the Bahamas! Lightning knocked out phone and Broadband Internet here Saturday to Monday evening; had some on and off torrential rain of short duration. It was not as bad as had been forecasted and expected. There's another big mess on satellite imagery but nothing much is expected at least not rain wise. It's very windy from time to time and the sea is far from friendly. Hazardous is the word in this case. The Hurricane Season could still have some more surprises for us. Be well. May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - Hazardous Weather Outlook |
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Goodnight, All! It's very quiet at the moment with just the sounds of some tree frogs. They're waiting for the rain, the heavier, the better, they get really loud. This tropical system is "around the corner"! It has to do work a TW and an Upper Level Trough combining forces to produce heavy rains, thunderstorms, high winds, some to gale force, flooding, the whole works! Could be tricky navigating on land or sea tomorrow. Trailing moisture could maintain a wet pattern for several days. So, there it is! The sunset this evening was announcing the weather ahead, it is said. Be prudent and safe if you are local, or if you have hazardous weather wherever you are. May God bless us all. Isabel Moisture
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| - Mixed Up Weather |
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Good night, All.! The weather has done everything. Glad for the visitors that they can have spectacular weather in between the suddenly squalls. I read that Canadian air would be spilling out to the Central Atlantic. Perhaps that's why some are feeling chilly. Our weather will continue to do some stunts over the weekend. There is a 90% chance of rain. The forecast from the weekend to the middle of next week is for more rain. I prefer to wait and see. The Rose Way schooner from Boston is back for another season. May it be a great one for them and may God bless us all. Isabel |
| - Thunderstorms! |
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Good evening, folks! What a weather!! This was not in the original forecast, it would have been worse with the polar trough. These were just passing thunderstorms Ii's been sunny a good part of the day, same yesterday. Hey, we're not complaining about the rain, it is the rainy season. There's a high chance of rain throughout the week, however, I'm sure there will be lots of sunshine as well. I hope so, for our visitors. Be well, be happy. May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - Active Weather! |
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Happy ALL HALLOWS EVE! The tropical wave expected for later tonight has arrived; not in full force as yet but enough for our cat to scurry for a good hiding place behind or under the furniture. If this is in earnest it should last through Sunday and maybe on Monday along with the polar trough. Have a safe night. May God bless and protect us all. Isabel
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| - Active Weather for the Weekend |
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Good night, All, near and far away, it's been a day of sudden drenching showers and with the ground so saturated there is the high potential for flash flooding with the weather scenario that is setting up from Saturday night now through possibly Monday. This is the system that will bring that polar trough. We shall see how that plays out. In the meanwhile, I'm including a long shot of the Bypass overlook from the street below and others from the overlook itself. One has to take a photo from across in order to get the entire overlook. Be well, be happy, and may God bless us all. Isabel
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| - The Near Future Weather --for us |
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Good Night, folks! I have my one ear on the Republican debate, and one on the World Series game--Mets are losing 4 - 1 at the moment, too bad, but here I am sending in this post, which will probably make a lot of people in the area frown especially if they don't like rain, and especially if it does materialize. First of all, last night we got quite a downpour. Our ground is very saturated from all the rain the last days. The deer hoof prints (holes) are quite visible now. We've had beautiful weather today, very sunny, and great for gardening with the soil so moist. However, for the upcoming weekend all the models suggest " a pattern shift " , " a deep layer polar trough ". Polar trough? Sounds cold ! " a very moist and unstable environment ". However, " this is several days out so will stay conservative and continue to monitor and see how the models adjust and the expected pattern unfolds" "stay tuned". The quotes are from the National Weather Service (NWS) of San Juan, P.R.So there we are, what our weather in the near future will look and feel like if it unfolds as described. I am very curious about the polar trough! Maybe our beloved Super Dave can explain what that's all about? Do we have to pull out the blankets and sweaters?? If it does unfold, it is expected to begin on Sunday, so the whole weekend should not be a complete washout. Let's enjoy one day at a time and may God bless us all. Isabel |
| - The Day After Rain Days |
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Well, that was a long spell, Friday to Tuesday! As usual though, some get more than others. We even had to use the clothes dryer; that goes to show how moist the air has been. Now the sun is shining through again. Praise the Lord! I'm always glad for the visitors. Have a great day and may God bless us all. Isabel
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| - Black and White Photo? |
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These photos were taken at noon today. We expected "all hell to break loose" . Thank God, it didn't! Later on in the afternoon it poured for a while. There is a high chance of rain for the entire week. The bad thing is that I can't see out the windshield when it rains or the sun or car lights shine directly; can't see the road when that happens. Apparently the wipers engrained lines on the glass, plus we can't seem to clean the inside completely. Hope not, but it's like an accident waiting to happen. The school my grandchildren attend is not nearby. They don't want to miss school, so, if it's raining 100% and school is not canceled off we go and hope for the best. Right now we are under a Flash Flood Watch until tomorrow night according to WU which monitors our weather as well. So far nothing from VI Alert. We shall have to wait and see. Have a good night and may God Bless us all. Isabel Sent from my iPhone |
| - Donut Cloud & BIG Rain |
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The 40% chance of rain turned into 100% and soon we had a mini deluge. I felt sorry for the National Guard event at the wharf. They must have gotten soaked! However, tropical rain is different to other places and one dries in no time. As children we could hardly wait for rain to go out and play. Only storms kept us inside. Let's enjoy life one day at a time and be grateful for each breath we take. It's a gift. May God bless us all. Isabel
This is the turtle domain. Sent from my iPhone |
| - An Angry Trough |
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That was really something today! The sky to the northwest was dark and threatening, but for us, only drama, no substance except for a few drops after all was said and done. There seems to be a very wet pattern in readiness for next week beginning Saturday night into Sunday and beyond. We have been especially concerned about the magnitude of Hurricane PATRICIA making landfall in Mexico. Another history maker, record breaker. Those poor folks must be having a horrible time. I hope and pray that they were able to get away to a safe place. What a monster storm, indeed. Scary to think that we're all in for that size hurricane in the future!! God help them and us! Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - An Angry Trough |
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That was really something today! The sky to the northwest was dark and threatening, but for us, only drama, no substance except for a few drops after all was said and done. There seems to be a very wet pattern in readiness for next week beginning Saturday night into Sunday and beyond. We have been especially concerned about the magnitude of Hurricane PATRICIA making landfall in Mexico. Another history maker, record breaker. Those poor folks must be having a horrible time. I hope and pray that they were able to get away to a safe place. What a monster storm, indeed. Scary to think that we're all in for that size hurricane in the future!! God help them and us! Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - This Morning...Captured! |
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There are days and there are days. No two days are alike, neither personally nor photographically. Each day is special, a gift. It has never happened before nor will it happen in the same way again. The weather has it's own role in each day as well. What was supposed to be a sunny day turns out to be a rainy day. I smile when I hear rain on the roof, in other places rain could just be adding misery to misery. This has been a very stressful, miserable hurricane season for many people around here and in the Western Pacific where so many Super Typhoons have battered that region of the world. The drought plagued us for months causing the farmers to suffer losses; those of us without potable water had to spend more buying truck loads of water; and if the road is bad, like in our case, we had to spend even more on a cement truck to fill in the ruts, or no water delivery. A paved road is costly. So, on each early morning comes the surprise package of a new day. May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - Rainy Season is In |
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Good night, all! Must say it has been raining more often now. Is the rain green? There's one VERY green photo taken late afternoon in the lower garden. Another one is the yellow butterfly bush. See them clinging to the leaves. This is our butterfly season, at least at our place it is. And then, there are the dramatic clouds getting ready to deliver rain somewhere. We even heard rumbles of thunder earlier today. The forecast into the weekend is for a couple of elements coming together to produce deep tropical moisture. It's a great time for planting. The ground is saturated and should remain so for a long time. There are at least 4 Lows in the Central Atlantic and one coming off the coast of Africa. Hurricane Season is not over! We still have to be in a continuous preparedness mode. May God bless us all! Isabel
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| - What a Rain/Sunday !! |
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Heavy rain surprised us today at intervals, and,of course, we were not ready with umbrellas when we were out! The day ended sunny with a silver sea! Looks like we could be getting lots more in the near future. Blessings to all! Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Greetings from the Tree Frogs |
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Good evening, good night! I hope you're all as happy as these little creatures. We've been having rain showers almost every day that's why they are so happy. During the long drought it was very still. Perhaps they're also enjoying the steel pan music that's wafting up from the town. Let's enjoy the relative peace and tranquility; may it be lasting. Let's not take anything for granted. We never know. Let peace, love, and joy reign in our hearts and may God bless us all. Isabel
Yesterday's rainbow
This evening's afterglow Sent from my iPhone |
| - Caught by Surprise! |
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Good day, everyone! I certainly did not expect such an intense rain shower this morning as I was on my way out! It was a wonderful gift for a weather mom celebrating my son's birthday so many years ago. AND it was followed by an awesome rainbow! That one I had to see in the photo which my husband took. There are some tropical waves in the Central Atlantic. I hope these will also bring us some more rain. I think JOAQUIN was the last storm of the season. So I hope, so I pray! Let's keep all the folks affected in the Bahamas and at sea in our prayers and give whatever we can. May God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - 91 L is out |
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It is no longer a potential disturbance but, nevertheless, packing a good amount of rain which I hope we can all share. What's confusing is that this website has it moving West and WU has it moving WNW. By the looks of the satellite imagery it is going to rain on Thursday into Friday as predicted. That would be great. In the meanwhile we are being entertained from time to time with passing showers as in the photo. Will keep you posted. May God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - 91 L arrives on Thursday |
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According to the latest report 91 L should arrive as a tropical wave bringing heavy showers and gusty winds on Thursday morning. After it passes us that could change. It has been rather hot here during the middle of the day especially, evenings are pleasant. This photo was taken early evening. Let's remember in our prayers all the folks who are suffering right now as a result of all the natural disasters. May God bless us all.
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Watching Invest 91 L in the Atlantic |
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Good Sunday evening dear followers of Storm Carib. Thanks for your prayerful support, or otherwise. Our hearts go out to all the folks in the Bahamas who were affected by that monster of a hurricane. We cannot even begin to imagine what they must be suffering. Having had a similar experience with HUGO-- during which our island was devastated, we can form a small idea of the horror of having a major hurricane in place for three days. We hope that soon there will be more information in regard to those affected islands. I am sure that there will be a huge response to any appeal for help. We should always be ready to help in any way we can. IsabelThere was a huge fiery looking blob in the middle of the Atlantic and I was surprised that the NHC had not noticed, or did not want to mention it as yet. I guess everyone was watching JOAQUIN. In the meanwhile, the blob became Invest 91 L. It is located at 10.6 N 38.3 W with a 30% chance of developing in 5 days. The computer models are spread out as they disagree on the track. One of them is coming in our direction, another is traveling again near the Bahamas, etc. etc..check it out! If it does develop we will have KATE to contend with. As always we wish these storms would go out to open sea. It is halfway to the Lesser Antilles, but since it is moving WNW at 15 mph., it should be above us by the time it arrives in this area. So I hope, so I pray, that it does not affect land anywhere. May God bless us all! |
| - Thunderstorms from Hurricane JOAQUIN |
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Good evening from soggy Christiansted! My grandchildren are a birthday beach party and they were not getting a drop. All was quiet I the west. Here's what the National Weather Service in San Juan is reporting: "Major Hurricane JOAQUIN located over the Bahamas will continue to induce a southerly flow across the region over the next few days. This Southerly flow will help to advect deep moisture over the area through at least Sunday." The last bout we got a short while ago came with very gusty winds like a mini hurricane. I could not help thinking of what those poor folks on some of the islands in the Bahamas had to endure for so many hours. JOAQUIN is moving towards the Northeast and according to Dr. Masters it was on the verge of becoming a Category 5 !! The ship with 33 crew had no excuse to be in the midst of this vicious hurricane. The ships usually are properly equipped with Radar. It must have been like a matchstick in those turbulent waves. It was taking on water the last they heard. May God bless them, the folks in the Bahamas, and us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - T H U N D E R ! |
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A thunderstorm is approaching. Rain is moderate to heavy. Our cat went into hiding. He sees the flash of lightning and knows what is coming. This Is truly a welcome rain. Our hearts go out to the folks in the Bahamas. It must have been a terrible battering. I hope and pray that everyone is safe. May God bless us all.Isabel
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| - CAT 2 JOAQUIN |
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Good night, all! At 8:00 p.m. this evening JOAQUIN was upgraded to a Cat 2 Hurricane, and he has company, a Low to the left and the remnants of IDA to the right. My New Yorkers don't seem concerned. It is most likely going to turn off to open sea, or just bring rain. That's the thought. Meanwhile in Virginia there is a State of Emergency. I hope my friend near the coast will do the right thing and leave that area. Super Storm SANDY has been mentioned by way of comparison. JOAQUIN is packing more rain than SANDY did.?? And to think that he passed us, without dropping a drop!! Hopefully those two Lows on the way from Africa will bring RAIN. Otherwise, there is rain in the forecast for the weekend and early next week. I won't hold my breath. Would be nice, not that I like weeds! Let's pray that everyone along the coast is taking all the necessary precautions and stay safe. May God bless us all. Isabe |
| - Tranquility |
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Morning...
...and evening. Many Blessings, Isabel Sent from my iPhone |
| - The Setting Moon.. |
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On Tuesday morning the moon was setting and looking as full as on Sunday. Maybe you can see it in the photo. We have not had any rain since the mini deluge a while back, but I do not envy the dangerous scenario that's taking shape along the Northeast. I hope everyone there will do everything to stay safe. We have an abundance of sunshine which we would be happy to trade for some rain if only that were possible! May God bless us all. Isabel
I Sent from my iPhone |
| - Tropical Storm Joaquin |
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All is quiet here, but I noticed that Tropical Storm Joaquin is headed to New York! I have to alert my two sons to be on guard. It's still quite stormy in Africa. So WE are not out of the woods as yet, may God bless us all. Isabel
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| - A Beautiful Day... |
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Good night, all! Hope you had a wonderful day as well. We've been following Pope Francis all these past days. A rainbow appeared in the sky over Central Park, according to CNN, when the he was scheduled to drive through in the pope mobile. It was sunny; no rain in the forecast. Many were taking pictures of it. A most unusual sight. Tonight the moon was huge and glorious. Then the eclipse took place. A blood moon? I managed to get a reasonable photo, which I edited. It's not a professional photo, but it was the best I could do. May God bless us all! Isabel
This morning at the lagoon park. Christiansted in the distance.
Super Moon/lunar eclipse. The Next one will be in 2033..? So I heard. Sent from my iPhone |
| - Eerie Evening |
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We could not believe our eyes. Did the islands move closer.? It was an optical illusion, rather eerie. There they were, forty miles to our north, St.Thomas, St. John, Tortola, Virgin Gorda. Perhaps they could also see us. Weather's been great. To all of you very far away who always follow stormcarib, come, visit, and explore our island. God bless you and us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - R A I N !! |
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Finally! We received the best soaking in months!! It was accompanied with lightning and thunder, of course. One was so loud that I shrieked as I was just going out on the porch to take a picture of the historic event. All our auxiliary tanks must be full and the cisterns must have gotten quite a bit as well. Praise the Lord! Our prayers were answered. Thanksgiving is due for sure. May God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Heavenly...! |
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I like the color blue, it is heavenly. I like the blue sea too, but if I scoop up a handful, it is not blue! If I fill a bucket of blue sea water, it is as clear as can be. Where is the blue? In Heaven where it is heavenly. After all is said and done the bottom line is that it is beautiful. Come on down !! May God bless us all !! Isabel
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| - It RAINED in the Sea |
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All we could do was watch and take photos of this show (see photo). Some folks benefited from the rain as well. We've had some sparse showers, but so seldom that it's a like a novelty each time. On Thursday we drove halfway west to Public Safety to register the vehicle and from the airport onwards it poured! I was happy for the farmers in the area. They have been in dire straits. Too bad Tropical Storm IDA is passing too far from us. Well, maybe it will come nearer. We don't see any rain in sight, but sometimes there are surprises! Have a good night and may God bless us all. Isabel
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| - Hurricane HUGO - September 1989 - How bad is BAD? |
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HUGO was bad, but then, how bad is BAD? Well, you have a good floor you don't like, but it can't be ripped-up 'cause that would be a shame, such a good floor, and all. So, you live with it, and liive with it, and maybe come to hate the good floor, but you can't do anything about it. Then along comes HUGO.., and in a matter of weeks, you have a beautiful, shiny, new floor. Is that BAD ? |
| - Hurricane HUGO - September1989 - How to measure D_A_M_A_G_E |
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The Aftermath from my article, a continuation : "It is not easy to measure D_A_M_A_G_E of this extent, but in order to have an inkling of how much of it there was on the 82 sq. mile island of St. Croix, let;s measure it by the waste debris left by HUGO: on Nov. 5 - 6, 1989, over 200 million tons of it, --25 feet high, about the size of ten football fields, was scheduled to be burned. A controlled burn of this sort with that amount of debris would take 24-36 hours, otherwise, according to the authorities as state in the St. Croix Avis, "It would take about 4,000 days for the islands two incinerators working around the clock to burn the debris." Another option was of "shipping it to fuel starved Haiti, but a government expert estimated that 10 barges would have to take daily trips for four years to haul the trash to Haiti." And if we think that that is all the debris, let us look again. The 200 million tons "represented only 20 percent of the storm-related trash that must be burned. Based on that percentage, the amount of HUGO debris on St. Croix totals 1 billion pounds." |
| - Remembering HUGO-September 1989 |
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While keeping an eye on the many tropical waves that are rolling off the coast of Africa. I cannot help but remember that one such wave became the monster known as Hurricane HUGO. Sept. 17 -18 marks the 26th anniversary since that nightmare. I came home from New York one month after the event to check on family, which endured horrible anxieties before, during, and after Hurricane HUGO, and to check on our condo, whatever was left of it. I spent a month video taping the whole island, and recording the horrors people saw and endured. An extract from my article: Hurricane HUGO - A Night on St. Croix : Tomorrow I will share another extract from the article I wrote 26 years ago. In the meanwhile let's continue to monitor those systems to our east, that's where HUGO came from. Goodnight... May God bless us all. Isabel |
| - Thundering to the West |
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Brief passing showers are all we got last night and early this morning. In the past hour thick clouds started to gather and now most likely the rain is falling over there, on midis land and beyond. We could be getting some as this drama is coming from the South. Looking at the Satellite Imagery there is a blob over the islands. I hope Dominica does not have to deal with more rain. 95 L is looking more ominous by the minute. It has a good chance of becoming a name storm. Again, like DANNY and ERIKA, the European computer guidance has it coming to the Northern Lesser Antilles by midweek next week . If you can, please track it, and monitor 95 L ! May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - RAIN, maybe...... |
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According to Weather Underground " Approaching tropical wave with axis currently at around 60W will cause a gradual increase in the local moisture starting late tonight into Tuesday morning..."93 L will probably be a fish storm, but bears watching until that happens. 95L is another story altogether. We definitely have to watch this one. It is very low moving West at 15 mph. The Atlantic Ocean is suddenly very active. With a second peak coming in October, any of these big waves coming off the coast of Africa could become a problem for us and all the islands in the region. Some people want rain so much that they really don't care what form it takes. I read that Hawaii is suffering from "hurricane fatigue". Not that they have been hit, but the stress of having it heading there, the preparations etc,, etc.. Our stress has been the promise of rain that never gets here. I think the same thing is going to happen now if the animation was correct. The TW is being blown to shreds? Well, let's hope we get some rain before it dissipates complete! May God bless us all.. Isabel |
| - Breezy Day! Wonderful ! |
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Brand new! 95 L ! That's going to be a real threat for us next week unless something impedes it from developing. Stay tuned ! The weather here is great and if tomorrow!s TW arrives at night to Wednesday everyone will be very happy. May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - Blessings! |
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I wish everyone health and happiness. I sent out an update around midday but I don't see it anywhere. Anyway, our weather has been quiet with a sprinkling in the early afternoon. We expect a TW on Tuesday and Wednesday; we hope to get some rain out of it. Otherwise, we are keeping an eye on possible " Ida " which already has a 90% chance of developing. Computer model guidance has it going out to sea, however, if it stays on the weaker side it will continue west. Perhaps Ida does not like fishing. We have to remain watchful and pray. We do not want anything BIG threatening us. May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - Happy, Blessed Sunday |
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Hi! Today it's a bit hazy, cloudy, nice breeze... I hope everyone, whether you're here or in Timbuktu, are having a nice day too! Those of us in the region should keep an eye on what could possibly become " Ida " early next week. Never thought we needed to pray that a storm to our east gets stronger, but in this case we do. It seems that the weaker the storm the greater the likelihood that it will come towards us (by next weekend) whereas, the bigger the storm, the greater the likelihood that it will go out to open sea because of other elements in the atmosphere that will push it out. Let's be watchful and pray. May God bless us all. Isabel p.s. there was a young Re-Footed Tortoise at our screen door yesterday. It was a cloudy day, so his name is now Cloudee. We have no idea where he came from.
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| - A Mostly Cloudy Day |
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Hello Again! Not a drop of rain all day even though the remnants of GRACE were passing Northwest over us. So, the water truck arrived instead.! Perhaps we'll have a better chance at free water with the next TW on Tuesday. Have a good night. May God bless all the folks around the world who are suffering as a result of natural disasters. May God bless us all. Isabel
Early Evening
Sent from my iPhone
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| - Drizzle... |
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Good Morning! Wind and drizzle with some very short bursts of rain was all we got. It continues to be overcast, but the chance of rain is only 20% as opposed to 100% chance last night when it rained next to nothing. We have to be pleased with whatever we get knowing that other times we will get more. My husband's hope was not to have to buy water so soon again. This hope was dashed by not getting the precipitation we expected. So, unless there's a change we have to buy another 3000 gallons. The next wave is due the middle of the week. Let's be happy and feel loved and blessed.. May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - I Can Hear Pin A Drop |
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Is it over? Not according to the radar.. I just woke up. Did it rain? It's quiet. I will go back to sleep. I have to be up by 5:00. (Yawn...yawn......) Lord, bless us all. me
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| - That BIG RED BLOB... |
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Is NOT in the least dramatic, maybe it is still going to happen. There's more wind than we expected, perhaps it's blowing the clouds away. Will get back later. Blessings, Isabel
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| - Seems Like RAIN is on the Way |
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We are preparing for a stormy night, power outages, filled cisterns and water tanks. However, we are grateful for whatever we get. It's still quiet, but looking at the radar, it's on the way, deep, broad, green (meaning rain). Glad it does not come down green! 😝 We hope everyone will be safe. Many people are killed by lightning strikes every year. It happened to a friend of my parents many years ago. She was running in the yard from one door to another. In case of lightning stay indoors especially when it's very near.!! Be safe! Will update later if we have Internet Access. May God bless us all. Isabel The rain is here! Not heavy as yet, but with a cool, refreshing breeze.
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| - Interesting Clouds |
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Once in a while we get really stormy conditions, without the rain as yet. Then the sun shines and all is back to normal. If it comes, the rain will arrive later this afternoon through Saturday morning. Blessings, Isabel
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| - GRACE Who? |
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I find it very strange that now that GRACE LOOKS HEALTHIER THAN EVER there is no information as to coordinates, how close etc. The last and most recent coordinates I wrote down were 14.5 N. 49.0 W. It was "drifting" to the South quite below us and Dominica. Now I'm seeing this image and clearly it's higher! I read some concern in Lisette's update. It's understandable. Fr. Merilan responded to a WhatsApp message saying, "We're okay for now..." I'm sure he was also concerned about that blob. I hope and pray it passes them and drop all that rain on us who really want and need it. May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - GRACE-No More, HENRI-A FISH STORM, IDA--NEXT? |
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The remnants of TD GRACE keep drifting to the South, so much so, that I no longer expect any rain from it. However, whether this is still valid or not, according to the National Weather Service of San Juan, PR, (Sept. 9) A new tropical wave is expected to roll off the coast of Africa on Thursday and already has a 20% chance of developing in the next five days. It is moving west at 15 mph. It can be our next name storm. It's not over as yet. Thursday is the peak of the Hurricane Season, and thank God for the SAL and Wind Shear, which have prevented the formation of Super Cyclones coming from Africa this year. "the remnants of tropical cyclone GRACE will combine with the aforementioned upper trough to produce organized convection across the local islands from late Friday into Saturday. Appears that conditions are favorable for heavy rainfall and scattered thunderstorms". It is good to know that so much help has arrived in Dominica and will continue to arrive for sometime. I hope and pray that everyone is getting the help they need during this time of recovery.and our sincere condolences go out to those who lost loved ones during that frightful storm.May God bless them and us all. Isabel |
| - Sunny, Cloudy, Breezy Day |
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A real mixed weather bag! It's quite pleasant. Now, all we need is the rain! We are going to keep our hopes, for GRACE, up at least until Friday. I was asked if this change of weather could be GRACE, the remnants, already. I didn't think so, but when I saw an image of it on WU, mmmmmm, there was an arm, one of several swirls coming from the system through our area. Very Interesting! We shall see later if this cloudy pattern continues. Until later when I update again. Blessings! Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - POSSIBLE Heavy Rain for Friday.... |
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That was the forecast for St. Martin. My weather radio is Kaput and I have not been able to get our local weather on NOAA. I get the one from Puerto Rico/.Our weather has been quiet. We're looking forward to rain on Friday, but that is wishful thinking. While on the subject of thinking.Has anyone stopped to thinking, has anyone stopped to think, what would have happened if the Sal and wind shear were not in place? TD GRACEis struggling to stay alive. Will she really make it this far.? We shall know on Friday l May God bless us all Isabel |
| - POSSIBLE Heavy rain for Friday ? |
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| - Peaceful, Labor Day Evening (post # 2) |
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The photo tells it all. We wait in suspense now for GRACE. This system is supposed to be much diminished as it arrives in the Caribbean, but we're holding on to the promise of some rain. Three additional TWs are creasing brows as they make their way through Africa to the Eastern Atlantic. Looks as if we'll be having a busy time ahead. May God bless us all.( scroll down to see post #1) Isabel
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| - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Greener |
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Good Evening, All, near and far! I must say we had some applaudable showers this morning. It hadn't rained like that in a while. Probably our neighbors two estates over would say, "What rain?" That's how it is. When we visited Universal Studios in California years ago, they had a set which showed how a 50% chance of rain works. It rained and poured on one side of the street and remained dry on the other. I have driven through rain here only to come out to a dry street the rest of the way! So, it did rain at our place this morning. What we are hoping is that TS GRACE, soon to be a TD before it arrives in our local area, will still bring enough rain to fill up the cisterns and saturate the soil. We have 10 new banana plants growing with the spurts of rain we've been having in recent weeks; we just need a more steady, soaking rain. We look forward to some "Finger Bananas" in the near future. The yellow plums can use some additional moisture, and the Sugar Apples are just flowering. It is most delightful to see everything coming to life after several months of a drought like we have never seen on our property. I hope and pray that as GRACE in whatever form crosses into the Caribbean it does not drop too much rain on Dominica. They are still trying to recover from ERIKA's onslaught. We have a collection point here at St. Ann's Church for bulk items and there will be a special monetary collection one weekend at Holy Cross Catholic Church to send from our Bishop Bevard to their Bishop. We should all do our part, even in a small way if we cannot afford anything big. It's coming from the heart. May God bless us all. |
| - Mixed Feelings about T.S. GRACE |
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A good Sunday Afternoon ! So far the word is that T.S. GRACE will strengthen before it weakens and reach the islands only as a remnant Low. That would be great! On the other hand, the seventh storm of the season usually turns up around the 16th of September. HUGO was the 8th storm in 1989 and it came straight from the coast of Africa. It is referred to as a Cape Verde storm. Any similarities ? Let's hope and pray that GRACE does exactly what the experts say about this storm and we only get the rain we need. May we continue to have peaceful, beautiful days as in this photo, just taken from our porch, and may God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Tropical Storm GRACE |
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That was fast! So now we have a week to monitor. Apparently, if it does affect us in any way it will be next Friday. The computer models have it tracking more to the Northern Islands, and there is a kind of confidence that it will break up with the strong winds. If a storm is strong, sometimes the wind is nothing, it might become part of the storm. As usual, we need rain. It has been back to dry days since the bit we received from ERIKA. We would like GRACE to supply us with some water. Unfortunately, the faucet of the largest tank broke off and most of the water gushed out. We managed to save what we could. Now it's set to go again, and we are not using an attached hose, which must have been the culprit. |
| - TD Seven In the Atlantic |
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Don't get depressed, but 91 L is now a Tropical Depression, still heading this way. That is way earlier than the NHC predicted. They expected this to happen by Tuesday. This system is developing faster than the experts think. It has lots of room to grow and everything is in it's favor until it's closer to the Antilles. Stay tuned to whatever media you have especially after the weekend. Stay safe and may God bless us all. Isabel |
| - 91L off the African coast is one to watch |
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Happy Saturday! I have been off island since mid August and had my 40ft. Beneteau in the Marina for that time. Erica came and the yard de-masted us so preps were definitely being made for her. I have friends who rode out the storm on their boat in the harbor. The first winds came around 7:30 pm at 75ph. Their boat heeled over, knocking things off shelves, and giving them a panic, but in the end, Erica was just much needed rainfall for the island. Now that our boat is ready to get back in the water...I look and see 91L with an 80% chance of becoming a tropical storm. Dr. Jerry Masters of Weather Underground wrote that 91L has favorable conditions to form and be in our area within 6-8 days. We will keep an eye on this one. Sent from my iPhone |
| - 91L - an 80% Chance of Formation in 5 days! |
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It's been spinning from before it left the coast of Africa. It's large and furious. Does not look good for the Lesser Antilles. It seems to be targeting this area. Of course, it is over 3000 miles away and it can change direction, perhaps higher in the middle of the Atlantic? Like Fred. Well, I just found out that FRED can regenerate into a TD. As long as he stays out there. As for the next name storm GRACE, it would not surprise me if a TS develops by the weekend. With an 80% chance of formation it can happen at any time, that means it will be a TS, or probably a hurricane by the time it gets here.. It is very, very active and apparently is has nothing to stop it until it's almost here when some strong wind shear could reduce it to a TW again. Let's focus on 91 L, track it, monitor it, and be prepared in the event it does make a bee line for our neighborhood. I better look into getting that generator. All the best to everyone. Stay safe. Let us help Dominica. May God bless us all. Isabel |
| - Three Tropical Waves to Watch! |
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Good Evening, all! I must have been exhausted when I wrote last night. How can a TW that "is stepping off the coast of Africa arrives tomorrow in whatever form". My sincere apologies. No way can that happen. The TW even before it stepped off today, Thursday, already had a 40% chance to develop before it gets to the Antilles. But that does not happen until midweek next week. During this upcoming weekend it is expected to reach TD or TS status, but the wind shear will increase as it approaches the local area, so it can be diminished to a tropical wave again. That would be fine with me. We need rain, no storm. IsabelTwo other TWs are following in its path. It's important that we monitor these systems and be ready. We don't have to wait for the experts to tell us what to do, we should know by this time. ERIKA left many without electricity for days, probably still today, and that was just a swipe. A direct hit by HUGO left everyone in the dark for months. Granted, many had generators, but the vast majority did not.(There had not been a direct hit by a hurricane in 60 years. After HUGO a cube of ice was like a gold nugget. Think about it, how we take so many things for granted, then suddenly, something like a piece of ice is the most important thing in the world. After a hurricane the heat is intense, thirst for something cold increases...Let's hope and pray that we never have another direct impact by a hurricane, especially a Cat. 4-5 like HUGO, and let's help Dominica in whatever way we can. May God bless us all. |
| - Quiet Time |
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Good Evening, All! I hope everyone is following the ordeal in Dominica. We have a community of Dominicans here and I'm sure they are going to do a collection of items to ship. Please read the updates from Dominica from the 26th on, Lisette posted then and has not been heard from since, but it was reported that she was located and is well; apparently she has no way to communicate. The season is far from over. The Tropical Wave that is stepping off the coast of Africa arrives tomorrow in whatever form. It already has a 20% chance of developing. We have to monitor each storm; be prepared with the necessities. This is one for WAPA: the correspondent who wrote from Dominica said they did not lose power during the storm!! That was a vicious storm, read how he describes it. So, look to the East and be ready, and may God bless us all. Isabel
Taken this morning
Taken this evening at Shoys. Sent from myE iPhone |
| - NEXT In Line ? (Previous update escaped me and went out unfinished) |
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We've been having beautiful weather, though hot and humid a good part of the time..This last Tropical Wave that was bringing at least a 90% chance of rain didn't quite make it except for a few drops. I was already warning my grandchildren to take proper rain gear to school. We can still have rain showers on and off from other activity, but nothing at all significant. However, the National Hurricane Center of Miami is keeping an eye on a Tropical Wave that will exit the African Coast on Thursday. Whether this develops or not, it should reach the Lesser Antilles on Friday of next week. That will bring us the next significant rain, let us hope and pray that it is not coming with a name attached. Have a good night. May God bless us all. |
| - Next in Line? |
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| According to the NHC, a Tropical wave |
| - Back to Drier Days! |
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Good Afternoon! Thank God that Hurricane FRED is far from us. It pummeled the Cape Verde Islands today. The first time in recorded history that they were in such a state. They're usually passed to the south and head west to our islands. Sorry for Dominica where the number of dead keeps rising. The devastation there must be absolutely incredible.Let's do what we can to help, We are having a repeat performance of pre-ERIKA days with dry weather, kind of hazy out there. However, there is supposed to be a tropical wave coming in to our area tomorrow, I noticed on Satellite Imagery that the TW, which looked healthy before, is looking smashed. Could be that we will get some "moisture" nevertheless. We can use lots more, that's for sure, but I'm not holding my breath. Let's do our best with what we have. May God bless us all. |
| - ERIKA & The Empty Fi |
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This tank was under a covered area yet it is half full of water with ERIKA'S brief visit (blown in?). I also forgot to mention that there was no thunder whatsoever. I thought we would get the whole works. A storm without lightning and thunder! Bizarre! Another almost funny thing. The forecast has a TW for early Sunday morning and it started raining already a few minutes ago; at the first drop, power outage! I wonder, until when. Next week there is another TW, about midweek. So it looks as if we are going to have the rain we wanted anyway, without a storm. AND I understand that 99L could become Fred tonight or tomorrow. Have a good night, and may God bless us all. Isabel
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| - Power Outages on St. Croix |
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The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority is under a tremendous amount of pressure from angry residents to better inform us via radio or the Internet as to the status of restoring power to all households. As of about one hour ago WAPA gave its first website update since YESTERDAY -informing the public that by tonight 90% of the power would be restored and by Sunday night we should expect complete restoration. The general sentiment of locals is that this was not a major storm and outrages of this magnitude demonstrates the fragility of our power grid and the inability of WAPA to maintain a utility. Please visit the VI WAPA Facebook page and the Virgin Islands Consortium. Sent from my iPhone |
| - ERIKA's Blue |
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This photo of one of ERIKA's rain bands, was taken on Thursday morning. The blue that we see in the Satellite Imagery is not blue but gray like the cloud we see here. All day we have had this gray shroud over us: not a drop all day, yet it seems that it's been raining! Hopefully the sun will reign tomorrow. The videos from Dominica are heartbreaking. Let's hope that they will not be touched for the rest of the season. It seems that the next "potential" will avoid the Caribbean Islands. That would be great! May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - Fwd: FW: Four photos from the east end... |
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Message from Michael Luce, who is in Grapetree Bay overlooking the old Grapetree Bay Hotel. Received email via Susan Beck, Allure Travel.
-----Original Message----- From: Michael Luce Sent: Friday, August 28, 2015 12:52 PM To: Susan Beck Subject: Four photos from the east end... [...] As you can see, it could have been worse. My house was thankfully spared any apparent damage. We'll hopefully have power restored soon. I hear that 40% of the island is now back on WAPA. [...] -mll Attachment:
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| - The Day After ERIKA |
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Good Afternoon, We were prepared for the worse, and we're happily surprised that we were only buffeted for an hour and a half where I am in the town. We thought it would last all night. We were told to expect 4- 8 " of rain , 12" in isolated areas. It rained heavily for that short space of time with some brief pauses and then it was quiet. The wind was like a mini hurricane, but it just vanished and all we got was drizzle and some slightly heavier mix. The power outage happened almost right at the beginning. I don't know if it was purposely turned off as a precaution, but we did not get it back for 12 hrs or more. Some got it back sooner, and so on. There was a curfew to keep vehicles off the roads so that debris from trees could be cleaned up. The curfew was lifted at 11:00 a.m. It has been very overcast on the verge of oncoming rain otherwise since last night's onslaught it's been quiet. We had no internet service until mid morning today. I tried several times. I want to thank everyone for your concern. We have yet to find out if there have been any severe damage or injuries to anyone. May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - Update. |
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We have to thank God damages were nothing like Dominica. We had a lot of debris, poles down and trees knocked down. As of now, only 40% of the island has Electricity. Curfew has also been lifted as of 11 am. Stay safe! |
| - Erika |
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From Cordelia on St.Croix...
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Cordelia Jones <cordelia667 at gmail.com> Date: Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 10:42 AM Subject: Erika To: Gert Van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com> Hi Gert. I hope You get this. My email, cell service quit working about 3 hours ago.. Your email is only one that has come through. Cannot send or receive texts either. If you get this, we are ok. Last night we had major high TS Force winds, & one gust was 65 mph. We received 2.3" of rain in our Rain Gauge. I'm in Eastend STX. Today, went out to assess damage, trees & power lines down. Some flooding, but didn't see much structural damage. Thank God. Stay safe, |
| - Update |
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| - ERIKA has ARRIVED!!! |
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On target! We are having very intense RAIN ! The power is out! Just went! It had been fluctuating for several hours. So far we've had only bands of heavy rain, but not a steady heavy rain. We are sorry for the people of Dominica who suffered such a blow. A local friend from there told me that the river overflowed it's banks and took houses and everything with it. Four people lost their lives. The storm is raging here. I hope every one here took the precautions necessary. May God help us and bless us all. I'm sending this out at 8:00p.m. Don't know if it will go out right away. Will update later. Isabel
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| - Re: ERIKA |
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The storm is closer. We have on again, off again sunshine, a sudden burst of showers and wind, and so on. The sailboat in the photo was beyond the reef when I saw it very early this morning. Perhaps it was looking for a safe place. VI Alert is already warning of Flash Floods ahead of the storm. I will send in updates throughout the day. God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - 6:00 A.M. - First Signs of ERIKA |
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Good morning, weather friends, near and far! We do not expect the "fullness" of ERIKA until this evening, but this is how it's starting out. I will try to send updates throughout the day. Blessings, Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Ready or Not |
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Good night, dear followers, and new found friends of the Caribbean Hurricane Network. Thank you very much for sticking with us. We can use all the support and encouragement during times like these. An approaching storm is a very stressful situation. The larger the storm, the more the stress. After all is said and done and prepared, there's the waiting...will it ever arrive? It's so sloooow... And then the wind picks up and the howling around the house, otherwise, it's QUIET! So, I shall retire now and hope to wake up to the delightful sound of rain. Before I sign off, I was happy to learn from VI Alert that hospital shelters were available for people with special medical needs. As for ERIKA, be good, give us the much needed rain, especially to the farmers, who work so hard producing our food.Have a restful night everyone, and may God bless us all. isabel |
| - Preparing for ERIKA |
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Good Evening, Everyone is getting ready for ERIKA.. We did the same for DANNY and some of us were very disappointed that we only got a drizzle. We hope ERIKA will deliver without over doing. Too much of a good thing can also be dangerous. As a matter of fact, VITEMA has been very diligent in sending out alerts at every moment, about everything concerning the storm. The shelter, I guess there's only one, opened at 6 p.m. this evening. Government will be closed on Thursday. Parochial schools will be closed for the second time this week.Ports are closing at midnight, the funeral was postponed to Monday, and so on. It has been very breezy, with thick dark clouds coming from the direction of the storm. We have checked around the house to make sure all loose objects are put away, and there is not much to do for the moment except wait and hope everyone is taking the necessary precautions to stay safe. May God bless us all. Isabel I will update before retiring tonight. |
| - Tropical Storm Warning In Effect |
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At this moment it is sunny and somewhat hazy, with an easterly breeze. Charming! However, rolling towards us is ERIKA. Tonight she will be passing through the island chain into the Caribbean Sea. We expect this nice breeze to become stiffer as the hours pass. It is not expected to impact our islands until tomorrow afternoon. I suspect that school will be canceled, but how about the funeral for my former classmate tomorrow morning?! Suspense! I'll keep you posted later on the current conditions. I hope ERIKA does not have a trick up her sleeve-- like becoming a full fledged hurricane! God help us and bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - T. S. ERIKA |
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I'm keeping an eye on the weather. DANNY did not give my neighborhood as much rain as others on our island, but did we ever get some powerful thunder during the night! As a result we had a power outage, which fortunately did not last too long. However, it's a good idea, to have a battery powered lamp turned on in the bathroom in case the power goes and you happen to be taking a shower just then! ERIKA seems to have moved down a bit, which is good for us, that is, as far as the rain goes. We can use more rain. I worry especially about the farmers. Today I heard of a man who just lost 5 of his cattle due to shortage of grass and not able to keep up buying food. It's really hard for those who depend on animals for their livelihood. How to water and feed them during an extended drought as this. Isabel |
| - Tropical Storm ERIKA |
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We are hearing a lot of rumbling, there've been flashes every now and then, but what we need most , RAIN, is sorely lacking. These occasional spurts do not qualify as Rain.- It has to be a good steady downpour. Perhaps ERIKA will deliver the free water. She'll be coming round In a couple if days! Much bigger than DANNY.! Ready or not. ERIKA is coming! May God protect and bless us all. Isabel
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| - FREE WATER DELIVERY.? |
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Good Evening, All! We were hoping we would get free water from DANNY, but so far nothing. ( WAIT! It just started raining! BUT for how long,,,,) The Satellite Imagery does not always reflect reality. There can be an orange blob over a place and then you find out that they only got a drop of rain, as I heard was the case with Guadeloupe and Antigua. It has happened to us in the past as well. Worrisome is 98L, which can give us a nasty surprise on Wednesday night. The experts in this field believe that it is serious about becoming a Tropical Storm very soon! Before it gets to the islands. It has been traveling very fast from the time it left the African coast, that's why it just about caught up with slow little DANNY. Well, I'm done with this update and I can tell you that the rain was only a spurt. it's quiet again, except for the night creatures which are celebrating in anticipation of the rain. The little tree frogs have been very quiet for a long time. They need RAIN,, not spurts, then they're happy, like us, during this long drought. Be well. May God bless us all. Isabel |
| - Waiting for Drought Relief |
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A very good afternoon to one and all! Here we are practically counting down the hours to the arrival of DANNY in whatever form, hoping to get the promised drought relief. It is sunny and breezy at the moment with patchy, dark clouds here and there. Other than the little wind chimes, it's quiet. Parochial Schools open tomorrow, private schools next week, and Public Schools open the day after Labor Day. It seems that they will be impacted in some way or other by the onslaught of tropical systems that are heading across the Atlantic. It's beginning to look like the Pacific. Will keep posting on the current conditions. Be well. May God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Rain? Or No Rain? |
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Good night, Everyone ! We're waiting with bated breath for TS Danny. Is it going to bring the rain we've been hoping for? I just did a CPA and the results were 47.6 miles to the north from us.!!In the meanwhile, though, the storm's movement is West. We'll see what happens with that At the same time I am keeping an eye on the new Invest 98L,off the coast of Africa, movement to the West. I'll shall keep you posted on both of these. May God bless us all. |
| - VITEMA ( from previous ) |
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I was surprised that it was still a category one when I rose this morning! Weakening is expected later today. We should get a good amount of rain if it does not get away from us too far to the North. Let's pray and watch! May God bless us all. Isabel |
| - Fwd: Danny Forecasted to Reach the USVI Early Tuesday as a Tropical Storm, VITEMA Urges Public to Prepare, Monitor |
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Good Morning! Hurricane DANNY has not weakened as quickly as was thought. I was surprised that it was still a Cat 2 hurricane
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: VITEMA <VITEMA at vialert.gov> Date: Saturday, August 22, 2015 Subject: Danny Forecasted to Reach the USVI Early Tuesday as a Tropical Storm, VITEMA Urges Public to Prepare, Monitor To: isabelcerni at gmail.com Alert / Warning Meteorological - SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT ...This is an ACTUAL SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT ALERT... Issued By: VITEMA Affected Jurisdictions: St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, Water Island Counties Headline: Danny Forecasted to Reach the USVI Early Tuesday as a Tropical Storm, VITEMA Urges Public to Prepare, Monitor At 5 a.m. today, the center of Hurricane Danny was located near latitude 15.2 degrees north, longitude 50.8 degrees west. Danny is moving toward the west-northwest near 10 miles per hour. A turn to the west with an increase in forward speed is expected later today. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 100 miles per hour with higher gusts. Additional weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Danny is expected to become a tropical storm on Sunday as it approaches the Leeward Islands. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 60 miles. The National Hurricane Center is advising the Leeward Islands and the Virgin Islands to closely monitor the progress of Danny. The Tropical storm watches may be required for portions of the Leeward Islands and the Virgin Islands on Saturday. Danny is forecasted to make its closest approach to the Virgin Islands at about 2 a.m. on Tuesday as a tropical storm with sustained winds of 50 to 55 miles per hour. There are no coastal watches or warnings currently in effect. VITEMA joins the National Weather Service in advising the marine community to remain vigilant to the evolution of Tropical Cyclone Danny. Marine conditions may rapidly deteriorate as Danny makes it approach to the Territory. VITEMA Director Mona Barnes is urging the public to make final preparations for the arrival of storm weather conditions early Tuesday morning, to stay informed by monitoring weather reports via local radio and television or the NOAA weather radio. ---------- For a permanent link to this Notification (may contain additional formatting and / or content which could not be sent), follow this link: http://www.vialert.gov/Public/News/AlertView.aspx?notID=3336850&refer=HOME&source=ADFTFT&messageID=56753159& To Un-Subscribe to this distribution, log into the VI-Alert - Civilians Portal using the following URL: https://users.vialert.gov |
| - VITEMA; Sandbag distribution Territorywide |
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This was an Alert / Warning that was sent today. by VITEMA. Obviously a lot of rain is expected with the passage of Hurricane Danny. It is to begin weakening by tomorrow and pass us as a Tropical Wave by Tuesday. The sand bags will be distributed on Saturday and Sunday morning. If the storm moves too far to our north, we will not get any rain, but we can use the sand bags for the next one, which has already moved off the African coast moving West. So, we are going to be very busy for the rest of the Hurricane season it seems. In the Pacific Ocean there are five systems right now. Five.! Perhaps DANNY opened a Pandora's box.?? May God bless us all. Isabel |
| - 0% Chance of Rain |
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..And even with a very healthy tropical wave going by. The Saharan dust is just choking it. That is what forecasters are saying about Cat 2 Hurricane DANNY. They expect the dust to weaken it. I just hope it does nochoke it to death! One way or the other we are going to get RAIN! Stay tuned and prepare for an unpredictable HURRICANE DANNY. Will check back later. God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Closest Point of Approach to St. Croix |
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Based on the location of the storm at the moment and our location 17.7N 64.8 W the closest the storm will get to us is 11.6 miles, which is great because that being the case we should get a lot of rain without being too destructive. The CPA should happen in 3 days, 23 hours, 31 mins. This can change with each update. One need just put in the location of the storm along with our own and get the results. This is only on storm carib as far as I know. |
| - Current Pre- Hurricane DANNY Conditions |
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At the moment, it's very hazy due to the Saharan Air Layer (SAL), occasionally dark, heavy clouds mix in; those are from the TW that is affecting us through Friday. Rain is in the forecast, however, the dust always manages to limit any rain. It's breezy, so much so , that it could seem that Hurricane Danny is right around the corner. Hopefully, it does not get any larger, but I have the gut feeling that it will be a Cat 3 before it gets here. Maybe it's because of all the super typhoons in the Pacific. At least we have the SAL as an advantage, let's hope it works especially as it approaches the islands where the warmer sea provides more energy. Let's prepare for the worse while hoping for the best. May God bless us all. Isabel
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| - Re: TS DANNY __ Eye to EYE...? |
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Good morning, followers of Stormcarib near and far, I'm not sure if I saw what I saw, but it seems to me that there is a closed circulation and an eye has formed. A dot in the middle of a circulation has always been considered an eye, or not? Take a look at the Satelitte Imagery. If it is really accurate, it would be surprising if the NHC does not label DANNY a hurricane at 11:00 a.m. this morning. The original forecast was for it to become a hurricane today, Thursday. That would be right on track. It's very important that we monitor this storm. It has a mind of it's own and by now the computer models are going crazy trying to figure out where it's going. As I said before, we are all in need of RAIN. We do not want TS DANNY to be diminish by the SAL or 97L above it to such a degree that it dries up or blows away our chances to finally get a reasonable amount of rain. May God bless and protect us all. |
| - Questions and Answers: |
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Which way is TS DANNY moving.? To the North. No, to the South. No, a direct hit. In what form is it arriving in our area? As a hurricane, possibly a 2 or stronger. No, as a Depression. No, a weak Tropical Storm. No, an open Tropical Wave.The best thing is to hurry with whatever last minute preparations that still need to be done. Listen to whatever local media for the latest and obey the civil authorities. Finally, stay put when the storm arrives. It is extremely dangerous to be out there whether it's wind or water. The Prime Minister of St. Marten is concerned about landslides because of the drought and now the heavy rain in this system. We should be concerned as well. I know that if it gets really bad several areas in our property will most likely be further damaged. The good thing is that all the plants bounce back in no time. Let's do what we have to do well ahead of the storm, Pray, prepare, and watch! And let's not forget to help the helpless. May God bless and protect us all. Isabel |
| - Hurricane by Thursday??" |
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Here we are on the verge of what could be a major challenge for us. We have not had to deal with a hurricane for some time. It's northwest track would bring it very close. Rain is so important that we look forward to this storm to provide us with the moisture we need. But won't it be too much all at once? Time will soon tell. Let's watch and pray. May God bless bless us all. Isabel
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| - Divine Rain |
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I could not help taking a picture of this Poster at the dentist's today.,.it seems that every one is pining for rain, even if it comes in the form of a Tropical Storm or worse. 96L could be the answer to their wishes. Be careful what we wish for. Right now it is churning in the Atlantic, looking as if it means serious business. Where is it going? The computer models has it pointing in several directions, including here. So, whether it's divine rain or not, there's hope for some moisture from this system next week. May God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Cloudy / Rainy Day |
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We've had a very overcast day with showers in some areas. We had some at midday and every night for several nights . Things are beginning to look up and in addition, the Atlantic is heating up. 96 L in the Atlantic is being given a high chance of developing into the 4th name storm in a few days. It has to be tested and if it passes the test should be turning to the northwest into our neighborhood. We have to monitor and be prepared. May God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Wet Weekend? |
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Hi, folks! Any day now, we wish, that the wind shear will abate. The forecast for the weekend is rain, however, the wind shear is very strong. While the dust has abated in our area, the wind is ripping apart the waves that can give us the much needed rain. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL nevertheless, come and visit. May God bless us all. Isabel |
| - Clouds come, Clouds go.. |
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We're all in the same boat, waiting for rain. In the meanwhile, we can easily be the envy of so many countries which are having disasters of all sorts. Just read the horror stories of the weather articles on Weather Underground and find out. How long will the Atlantic remain quiet? Only Time can tell. I just wish that the entire face of the earth can be renewed. May God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Beautiful Hurricane Season continues..... |
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Good Evening, folks! We are in awe at the quiet, lovely, Time this has turned out to be. No frightful hurricanes, no flooding systems, just gentle showers that provide enough moisture to turn brown into green like the lawn at the Christiansted Fort. The evening air is cool and very pleasant to sit outside. A tropical wave is expected over the local islands on Tuesday into Wednesday and another on the weekend, if they get through. Be well, be happy, and may God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - What little showers produce.. |
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The daily showers we've been having is bringing back to life what appeared dead. Have a wonderful Sunday and may God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Daily Showers |
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Less or virtually no Saharan dust equals more showers. That's exactly what we have each day now. There are some waves in the Atlantic that are raising eyebrows : they are actually Low Pressure systems. As we enter the crucial part of the Hurricane Season, it's wise to be attentive, alert, and prepared. Have a good night and may God bless us all. Isabel The Hurricane Hat. by Sally Jacobs
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| - Sunny / Rainy Day |
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It was a perfect morning for Sunnee to meet his mother. (See photos in previous post.) Even the tortoises realized it has been a long time since it really rained, they stayed out to enjoy it. Have a good night and may God bless us all. Isabel
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| - RAIN !! |
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It started raining late this afternoon and after a pause, it's raining again as I write! We haven't had rain like this "in ages"! My husband and I were noticing at noon that the dust had let up. As a matter of fact, if the dust lets up for good we should be getting more of the same Friday thru Sunday. There is a very Big wave coming off the coast of Africa which bears watching. This is a rainy evening photo:
During the morning, as most of the day, it was very warm and sunny. It was the perfect time for Mama Tortoise and baby Sunnee to meet.
Not easy on this table...
May God bless us all, Isabel Sent from my iPhone |
| - The Bromelias |
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No, that's not a family; it's a plant that sports these pink flowers on a stem . At the moment they are all blooming. They appreciate the precious drops of rain we have been getting during this long drought and are showing it. We need a lot more rain to repair all the damage done to our garden. Previous photo updates will prove this. In Time I know it will rain. God forbid we should have a super storm like the one bearing down on China, Japan, and other countries nearby. Let's pray for them. We can imagine what they must be going through. May God bless us all. Isabel
Bromelias
Sent from my iPhone
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| - A Droopy Palm Waves Goodbye |
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Yes, another hot day without a good drenching, says the palm tree in this photo. Though 94L has fizzled, hopefully some of the rain will come through. Hey everyone, last night I happened to see part of the documentary on PBS on the 100th anniversary of the construction of the aqueduct from the Sierra Nevada through the Mojave Desert to Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. I missed a good bit but what I caught was absolutely amazing. It's a pity that so many people take water for granted by wasting so much of it. Here, we are seeing many plants, even trees drying out because of the lack of rain, these cannot be watered like potted plants. Water has to be the most important resource we have. What would we not give for a glass of cold water on a hot day when there's no water? It Can Happen Tomorrow- as The Weather Channel reminds us about other natural elements. Have a good night, and may God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - What A Difference A Day Makes |
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Hello again! Here we have similar photos to compare the difference in the air. Today, there was more blue sky and sea. Made me wonder if we were having a break in the Saharan dust. And 94L is still more alive than I thought. Behind it is another blob that, as Dave said, could benefit from the moisture of the previous one. Whatever the case, it is doubtful that we can continue this way; one of those big waves will get through sooner or later. At the moment I am only focusing on what is coming out of Africa, crossing the Atlantic, to the Caribbean. 94L is fighting the Saharan Air Layer (SAL). That's good and bad. Good because we can get the rain we need if it wins, and bad, because it can develop into a cyclone and we lose. So, let it be, and let us see, and may God bless us all. Isabel
3-day old Sunnee is sunbathing. ( the name is pronounced like "Sonny").
Same view as yesterday, just lots more blue. Sent from my iPhone |
| - Another Dry Fuzzy Day |
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However, we have Sunnee. He is very active. He "enjoys" his coffee-can-cover swimming pool even with a gray, fuzzy background. It is annoying, though, to see full clouds, which amount to nothing because of the relentless Saharan dust in the air. Today we had another water delivery. Business is booming for the Water Companies that's for sure. They don't do well during rainy seasons. 94 L is "clinging to life" out in the Atlantic, according to Dr. Masters. And so it goes. Have a good night and may God bless us all. Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - A "SUNNEE" Day |
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It was a sunny, windy day just passed. So, our new, little tortoise, has officially received the name "Sunnee". All our pets names end with "ee". If the remaining 4 eggs hatch they will all receive "weather term" names at the suggestion of my Salutatorian granddaughter. She is smart! As for 94L, it's far away and does not have a good chance to develop. That's great, but can it please come this far with rain?? May God bless us all. Isabel Sunnee managed to get out of thiš tray where I had him getting a sunbath.
So for lack of a safer place he ended up in the Pet Taxi.
Sent from my iPhone |
| - New News |
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Hello! I'm keeping an eye on our baby tortoise and on 94L off the coast of Africa. As usual, we watch it in case it means trouble down the road, rather, up the road to us. We are approaching our hurricane season. I just hope it will also be the beginning of the rainy season for us. Our baby tortoise was a big surprise.!! I was watching 4 eggs and there was this little critter as if waiting for me to open the door, which I did in order to transfer the eggs. I had no idea where it came from: no sign of a shell anywhere. So, it's our surprise baby. It drank lots of water and will do so for the first days. Two pieces of New News. I am definitely keeping my eyes on both. Actually, I also have 4 eggs to watch as well. May God bless us all! Isabel
Sent from my iPhone |
| - Weather Beaten-(favorite) Tortoise House |
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Good Morning, All! This morning it seemed for a while that the rain clouds would break. They didn't, the glorious sun was shining as it ought to on the Sunshine State, and we could really use some of the torrential rain they are having in parts. In continuation from my previous post. Here is a photo of the favorite Tortoise House, their favorite, which is closed to them now because of the eggs.
My favorite is this one with the flags.
They don't like wind so the Burlap flaps allow them protection, at the same time the freedom to go in and out. Will they eventually have new company ? Suspense! (See previous post if you haven't as yet.) I think we may have to build a third house! Have a wonderful day and may God bless our good plans and endeavors. Isabel Sent from my iPhone |
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