The reason not to travel to the Caribbean in the Fall

 Need I say more?

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Safety Tips here.

Active Fall Hurricane Season

 What are we up to?  the Greek Letters?

Beta is raining on the Texas Coast and Teddy is over the Maritime Provinces.

So what is happening this minute.

Will there be more?

Hurricane Dorian

As this storm heads toward the mainland, there is a lot of hoopla surrounding the path.  Do your self a favor and go to the National Hurricane Center and not that dot com site staffed with beautiful people.

And for that matter, download a tracking map and follow the storm.

I have posted info on hurricanes frequently on this blog, so you can do a search.

Stay prepared.

Summer travel to the Caribbean

Summer is a popular time for vacations and the Caribbean is a popular destinations for many. Thinking of visiting an island soon?  You might want to pause and check out the National Hurricane Center to see what storms may be brewing in the North Atlantic.

For my summer island trips I wait until the last minute to book.  Like Grace Bay?

Summer trips tend to be more affordable, especially compared to the winter months when people, like me, need to escape the snow and cold.  Also, if you were set to do a cruise, note that Cuba is now off the list.  Too bad, the country really could use the tourist money.

Oh, yeah, we are still in Spring and Summer is still five days off (Friday).

Named Tropical Cyclones

The list for 2019 is out.  And this is official, unlike the one that we find on the TV channel that now names all storms.

I would everyone to start naming every weather event.  If it is a bad storm, like the one that killed 3 people in Missouri yesterday, you might name it after someone you dislike (surely today, there is someone you dislike). 

But more optimistically, if the weather is nice, name the day after a friend or pet.  Yesterday for example was a Bubba-Doo kind of day.  Spunky, friendly and a great companion.

For the ones on that TV station, refuse to use their name and use the one you want to use.

Hurricanes 2017

I won't say I told you so, but ......

My blog back in July alerted tourists of the risk about travelling to the tropics during hurricane season.  Florida seems to be listening to the warnings. But Barbuda and Antigua got slammed yesterday, Puerto Rico, and then TCI tomorrow?

Keep informed by official weather reports and not the beautiful people on the W Channel.

Check out this loop for Puerto Rico.

And of course, after Harvey and Irma comes Jose.  Oh yeah, Katia heading for Mexico.

Hurricane Update for Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean

Yucatan Peninsula is in for some nasty weather as well as the Lesser Antilles over the next week.  This is where that vacation insurance comes handy.  While you are waiting to make the final call to cancel your trip, use the tracking maps and make this a learning experience.

Keep an eye on the weather in Martinique and the RADAR they provide.  A long range forecast is found here (in French).

Traveling to Caribbean this Hurricane Season?

Be sure to know the emergency shelters available to you when you visit the islands.  For example, if you plan a trip to the Turks and Caicos this season, see this news report for your shelters.  You can also get advice from Tripadvisor.Com.

Plan ahead by checking the National Hurricane Center.

Or better yet, make your travel plans at the last moment.

Hurricanes in the Fall

A few years ago, a friend was getting married in the fall and planned a honeymoon in the Caribbean.  Hurricane Matthew is precisely the reason NOT to do this.  When ever I plan to travel to this region, I make, especially late summer and fall, I will book the trip one week out.

Here is the prediction as of today 29 Sept 2016:

For the Atlantic and Pacific storms visit http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

this is why you don't plan too far ahead for vacations

A tropical storm alert has been issued for islands in the Caribbean.  For more details check out the National Hurricane Center for maps and such.

So short story, don't plan a vacation anywhere in the Caribbean, Southeast US too far out.  Wait a week out to make the summer plans.

Should we worry about Danny

This is the time of the year that I would not plan far in advance a trip to the Caribbean.
I recall one season, the NRPA hosted a fall conference in Miami.  Not too smart and boy oh boy did the hurricane hit during the conference.

See this site for info on Danny.

Hurricanes and tourism

Ever wonder why the best deals for the Caribbean occur late summer and fall?  Hurricanes!

I would not book a trip to the Caribbean anytime from July to November until a week out.  Since these tropical storms move slow, say 15-20 mph, and the general direction of the path can be predicted a few days out, it is best not to risk it by "early birding" a trip months out.

For conditions in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific visit NOAA.

"Hurricane Sandy" is heading our way

Seems we may be in for another set of bad weather this Halloween.  Sandy is hitting Jamaica as I write this and has an interesting track north as predicted by the National Hurricane Center.

As of 2 pm this afternoon:

UMMARY OF 200 PM EDT...1800 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...17.6N 76.8W
ABOUT 30 MI...45 KM S OF KINGSTON JAMAICA
ABOUT 195 MI...310 KM SSW OF GUANTANAMO CUBA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...80 MPH...130 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 5 DEGREES AT 14 MPH...22 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...973 MB...28.73 INCHES

Will we get hit?

Time will tell....

Irene Update

Surfs Up!

While most sane people are moving inland, there are surfing fans enjoying a rare opportunity to "hang ten" on the eastern seaboard. This area is not well know for serious surfing, but when a storm comes in the area, you are not going to waste the opportunity.

See this news site for more info.

The Weather Channel has some info on wave heights.

A final thought...the leading edge for this storm gives us winds from the north-east and east, but once the eye has past, the winds will reverse to come from west and south-west. Remember, a cyclonic disturbance in the northern hemisphere has counter clockwise winds toward the low pressure.

Hurricane IRENE

Well, the campus President has closed school for Monday the 29th in anticipation of Hurricane Irene. I'll be tracking the storm using data from

the National Hurricane Center

Lots of good graphics, maps and data and none of the commercials or advertisements you'll get on other sites.

Plugged in our dehumidifier in the basement to prepare. Oh yeah, maybe I'll stock up on some goodies too!