Hurricane Dean - Go Away!

It's that time of year again...

When hurricanes that form on the West coast of Africa, move across the Atlantic and head straight for the Caribbean and the USA.

Now it's Hurricane Dean's turn...but this guy is nasty...he has developed from a topical depression into category 4 hurricane in under 3 days!

After ravaging St. Lucia, Dominica, Martinique, St.Kitts and Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles, Hurricane Dean is heading straight for Jamaica.

He should either hit Jamaica, or move very close to the island, within 30 hours (by Sunday morning.)

Dean is currently packing winds of up to 215 km (133 miles) per hour and is moving westwards, in the Caribbean Sea, at a rate of 35 km (21 miles) per hour.

The latest figures put Dean at latitude 14.9 N and longitude 65.1W  or 1,290km (800 miles) East South East (ESE) of Jamaica.

Dean spans about 235 km (146 miles) wide. (This means that Jamaica will be affected by strong gale-force winds, even if Dean moves to the north or south of the island.)

Please click The Weather Channel link, here, to get an up-to-the-hour projected track for Hurricane Dean. (You have to refresh your browser for this to happen, though.)

All weather models forecast that Jamaica is directly in Dean's path.

All political campaigning has been halted, on the island, until after the hurricane has passed.

But depending on the level of devastation that Dean leaves in its wake, we will not know, until next week, whether or not the general elections for August 27, will be postponed.

Jamaicans are praying that we will be spared from the worst.  But we are also preparing to meet Dean.

Battening down will start in earnest tomorrow, and supermarkets were packed, today with shoppers getting last-minute food items and necessities (e.g. matches, lanterns, flashlights) to prepare for the hurricane.

Business places will be battened up tomorrow, too...

Some business closed at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon, to allow their workers to secure their houses.

The security forces are currently being organized to prepare for and stop any looting that may take place.

But we are just praying that hurricane Dean will go away and do the famous Jamaica hop (where hurricanes hop over or under Jamaica as a result of prayer)!

Sources Include:

1) Projected Path of Hurricane Dean,The Weather Channel

2) Television Jamaica (TVJ)'s 7:00 p.m. Nightly News, August 17, 2007

3) CVM TV News Watch 8:00 p.m., August 17,2007

Gillian

Comments

[Gillian Campbell]

Hi Groovehouse,

Thanks for your comment and encouragement!

Yes,we are praying and hanging in there! :)

Gillian

[groovehouse]

Hang in there MOU!