So Tropical Storm Dorian is now starting to affect St. John as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. The rain just started, and there are very light winds happening now. St. John is under an active Tropical Storm Warning, as well as a Hurricane Watch.
The storm appears to have taken a more northern route, bringing it closer to St. John than forecasted yesterday. St. John is expected to get heavy rains throughout the day. Winds will pick up as the storm passes through the Territory.
The 8 a.m update from the National Hurricane Center stated that Dorian’s maximum sustained winds remain at 60 miles per hour, although gusts could be higher. According to this 8 a.m. update, the center of the storm will pass “over or near the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico later today.” Dorian is expected to be near hurricane strength when it approaches the Virgin Islands. A category one hurricane has wind speeds of 74 to 95 miles per hour.
We just chatted with the Coast Guard in San Juan, and they said all ports are closed as of 7:30 a.m. this morning. The port conditions are now set to Zulu, which means no ferries or barges are running today. As of 7 a.m., the airports remain open although Cape Air and Seaborne have cancelled all of their flights. Schools and government offices are also closed across the Territory.
According to the Coast Guard, Tropical Storm Dorian should be out of the Territory and will pass by Puerto Rico by about 8 p.m. this evening.
Here is a video taken at 8 a.m. this morning over Great Cruz Bay:
Dalton and I are off island for a scheduled vacation. We have friends on island who will continue to update us on island conditions. We plan to share that information with all of you.
Hope it’s a light one. Stay safe everyone
Praying for everyone in the path of this storm.
Stay safe everyone….