Hurricanes

Hello,

Well the height of season is generally August/September or there abouts. Hard to say how often, it had been quite a number of years when Hugo came through in 89.... a long long time with no storms. Then in 95 there was another big one... some smaller ones between then and now - not really affectly low lying areas, but folks up in the mountains got some damage but not as much as the two bigger ones in 89 and 95.

Evacuation plan - like off the island. No, people stay here, they buckle down their belongings, board up the house, put boats in mangroove lagoons that are more protected, protect cars as best as possiable and wait it out.

If you live in a home that you feel is unsafe, perhaps a wooden home, galzanized roof or just a structure you feel is unsafe perhaps because of a lot of glass or whatever, then you can go over to a friends (maybe someone with a solid concrete house, or you can go to a shelter, which is usually churches or shoools. Many people stay in their homes, as there are quite a few people with cement or cement brick homes.

Advanced warning... well the news usually reports it as soon as it begins forming and folks track its course... usually you have 4...5 days of knowing about it... perhaps 2-3 days of knowing its a large storm heading your way. The day before often you know with some certainity its time to really buckle down. But sometimes it/nature changes its course or the storm gets weaker or stronger.... but overall you know thats its around so you can prepare at least 3 or 4 days before.

I have been through several large storms.

--Islander

Thanks so much for the reply! I guess evacuation was kind of a silly quesion considering it's an island =o) !! You wouldn't happen to of anyone that works for Hess?
Lisa

Bitsy, no silly questions (sound like a teacher now :-), sure someone else was asking the same thing too)

Actually partial evacuation has happened on one island, Monsteratt - but it was because of a volcano...

No, don't know anyone at Hess, perhaps someone else might help with that.

--Islander

I have to say.... if It's a category 4 or 5 storm that makes a direct hit on any of the islands there will be no protection. After a category 4 or 5 there wont be standing wooden structures, all concrete construction will be missing their roofs. All trees will be toppled, and there will be many dead of those who chose not to evacuate.

With a CAT 4 or 5 storm the only protection is evacuation.

As soon as the National Weather Service issues a hurricane warning (24 hourds before predicted landfall) you had better be making evacuation plans to get on a flight out.

Hurricane Mitch is a good example of a CAT 5 making landfall in Honduras. Deaths were estimated at well over 10,000 (no one will ever know). Wind speeds topping 170MPH, and over 36 inches of rainfall.

Lets hope nothign like that ever happens.

JET

Thanks for the reply also JET!! I've never used a message board before (read a few) but you guys are GREAT!! I'v found so much helpful info. here!!

Isalander, it wouldn't be the first time someones said that to me (no silly questions). I used to have a super boss who would tell me the same thing and he was very intelligent!! I'll ask in a seperate message about Hess.
Thanks again,
Lisa

Hurricane Hugo in 1989 was a Category 3 before it got to the USVI, developed to a 4 and then a 5 by the 15th of September... it hit the USVI on the 17th-18th at a strong category 4. It became weaker as it left the VI and then regained strenght before hitting the US mainland (South Carolina) at a category 4. We were in a state of Hurricane watch on the 15th so were aware of its approach several days in advance. It was monitored since the 9th of September when it developed off the coast of Africa. Evacuations were done to and for residents in low lying, close to the beach or ocean front homes - they are brought inland not off the islands unless of course they choose to leave. Hugo was considered at the time one of the strongest storms to hit the Virgin Islands, and 5 deaths were reported between the USVI and Puerto Rico, with 7 indirectly related deaths - most deaths attributed to drowning and electrocution.

Realistically speaking would you expect about 108,000 Virgin Islanders to abandon their homes and go where??? Most of us are from here or originally from neigboring islands - which are also being affected when a hurricane is passing through the Caribbean. We can not all leave every time there is a hurricane watch - as they do not all hit us even when there is a watch. Additionally when hurricanes are heading this way, planes stop service temporaily for the day before and around the storm making land approach. Of course if there was a threat that required complete evacuation I would assume the federal and local government would figure something out - that would be a mass project!

(Of course in the scenerio of Monsteratt - evacuation as in off the island was necessary and executed for the area where the volcano was going to completely dissimate. Folks stayed on other parts of the island however.)

Marilyn was a category 2 bordering 3... and left 7 dead in the US Virgin Islands - all of which drowned because the persons chose to stay in and with their boats. Although it was reported to be a category 2-3, residents to this day will tell you they have real doubts of that - and with the damage caused really think it was a 4 or 5. Marilyn hit on the 15th and was monitored from the 8th.

Considering Hurricane Mitch, it must be understood that the Virgin Islands infrastructure and home construction is not parrallel to that of Honduras which is described as a 'third world region', much of the lost of life was due partly because there was no where safe in terms of home or building construction, people were directly exposed to the storm; and the quanity of precipitation caused many mud slides and flooding...

In any case, the damage caused to the Virgin Islands by Hugo and Marilyn was severe without question... wooden homes wiped away, cement homes that had no cement roofs but rather galvanized or wood - lost it, cars, power lines, schools..... And far worse devastation and loss of life in Central America by Mitch - which is considered one of the worse hurricanes to hit in the last 200 years, reaching winds above 200 miles an hour because of the storm and because of the infrastructure.

I agree however that I also hope no such hurricanes should affect this region with such maginitudes for a long long time!! I am shuddering at the thoughts of the past ones. Hurricane reflection done..... 🙂

--Islander

As a guy from the midwest, I am interested in the danger of hurricanes. Luckily, locals that havelived here for a long time havetoldme that where i live is very safe from hurricanes. I am in the valley inland and I find it hard to believe that these homes that are still standing were built less than twenty years ago. They still have partial wooden structure. I coiuld see it getting nasty where i live with flooding run off but i think the actual mountains protect us from alot of potential wind damage. Maybe not mud or dirt and rock slides.

All I can say is that if a CAT 4/5 storm approaches I am taking my boat and leaving.

My experience with category 5 storms is Andrew. It wiped Homestead Forida off the map. It erased an entire city. There were cars on the roofs of car dealerships 30 feet high., and wooden boards driven through trees.

The main danger of CAT 4/5 Storms is not from the sustained winds, but from tornadoes.

The CAT 4/5 winds are only located in the eye wall, and usually dont extend more than 5 -10 miles from the epicenter so extreme damage is localised.

Andrew was something.

JET

Jet- many boat owners that do charters leave for hurricane season and head south where hurricanes are less likely to hit, returning after the season. Others stay and put their boats in lagoons. Some folks stay in their boats even though everyone says don't don' don't stay in a boat!!

Andrew was something - you are right.

Yes the danger is tornados... after Marilyn hit in 95 there were areas where one side of the street look clean (cleaned away, no leaves, no power lines, no roofs) and the other side was OK - damaged but OK. The damage caused is not just frightening it is painful even if you personally are not so greatly affected... it really can break a persons spirit; but such is the case with all natural disasters, the awesome power of nature is really increadable.

--Islander

I'm so sorry if I caused any painfull memories for anyone!!!!! Where I lived (in Louisiana) we have a threat almost every year, but luckily we've have'nt had a direct hit since (I beleive) Betsy and even still I think the Gulf Coast (Mississippi) got the worst end of that!! I was only 3 when that one hit. I no longer live near New Orleans, now closer to Baton Rouge, but after Andrew, and from living down there, I still get jumpy when one gets in the Gulf!!! We had a real scare either last year or year before when we were told we were going to get a direct hit with a Cat. 5, luckily for some reason it dropped to an actual 3 on approach of landfall witch for us is not too bad, although there was still some damage and flooding!! For the most part though we dogded the bullit!!
Lisa