Last May we informed you about the potential for a very active hurricane season this year. Well, Matthew is almost upon us and we still beg the question…Are you prepared?
Check out our May article at http://rayneau.blogspot.com/2016/05/be-prepared-this-season-do-not.html
For your info a budding tropical system is likely to become Tropical Depression Fourteen and then Tropical Storm Matthew at any time on today. So says the weather experts
Breezes will evolve into stiff winds, seas will
turn rough and spotty showers will transition to gusty squalls and potentially
into severe thunderstorms as the system moves along in the Caribbean.
The first areas to feel the direct impacts will be
the Windward and southern Leeward islands. Gusty squalls and building surf will
unfold through Wednesday.
A report for the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico from
the NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL taken at 200 AM EDT WED SEP 28 2016 reads:
“A strong
tropical wave is located about 170 miles east of Barbados.
This
disturbance is producing winds to near tropical storm force,
and the
associated thunderstorm activity continues to show signs
of
organization. Conditions are expected to
be favorable for
development,
and a tropical depression or tropical storm is likely
to form
later today. The system is moving
westward to
west-northwestward
at 15 to 20 mph, and is expected to pass over
the
Windward Islands later today, and move over the southeastern
Caribbean
Sea tonight and Thursday. An Air Force
Reserve
Reconnaissance
aircraft is scheduled to investigate the system
again later
this morning.
…………
Regardless of whether the system is a tropical wave or a tropical cyclone,
heavy rains and tropical-storm-force winds in squalls are expected to spread
over the Windward Islands and portions of the southern
Leeward
Islands, beginning this morning and continuing through tonight and early
Thursday.
Hurry on down to Rayneau for your last minute
shopping and get prepared before Matthew catches you napping.