Hurricane Ernesto

We have a NEMO meeting at 6:00am downtown which meant setting my alarm for 4:40 am – ugh. Managing to get a bit of work done and at least one iced coffee in me before I set out. I did not pre-order a cab so hoping I can find one or hitch a ride when I get to the main road.

It is still pitch black out but I can hear the rain, wind and thunder picking up now. When I opened the door to let some fresh air in I noticed a new addition to our canal, a big Catamaran parked outside our neighbors house.

This is a common sign for hurricane preparation and at last night’s meeting, they announced small craft warning after 10:00m and people should secure their boats on the lagoon side of the island. They also said people need to de-plank their docks and take every other one out, this lessons the jackhammer effect and will have to save the dock from getting totally beat up by the hurricane.

Flashback to last night’s meeting was blogging it on my phone.

Sitting in NEMO meeting with Rhonda My Morning Matters. The ECO team has sprung into action and have been doing shifts around the clock. Cots are being made available for them and while they were getting food, someone at Super Buy made a $200 donation towards the supplies for the EOC team.

Frank Panton has been updating us on the storm, using the NOOA hurricane center tracking maps with a projector screen so we could all see it on the wall, Ernesto will continue over the next 48 h. Tropical Storm Ernesto is swirling off the north coast of  Honduras. According to Frank, it will bounce around in the mountains a bit and this will stop the intensification of the storm.

Currently, Hurricane Ernesto is moving at 12m per hour and looking like it will make landfall by 2:00 am Wed morning just north of San Pedro in the Bacalar Chico area. Regardless of what track is saying, it is important for people to continue to activate their hurricane family plan.

Wave conditions are expected to be between 3-6 ft and beyond the barrier reef 12 ft waves, as a result, we will have debris, trees down, minor flooding of streets.

It is advised that people on low laying areas such as San Pedrito, Elliot subdivision and San Mateo find alternate locations to ride out the storm after midday tomorrow. While we do not have official hurricane shelters, there are places people can go. The Evangelical church.  Shalom, Living Word and New Horizons all agreed to house people from these vulnerable areas if needed.

There will be an official update around 7:00 am this morning after our meeting on Reef Radio and TV.

I will be back later with a further update.

After the meeting I agreed to go for a drink with Rhonda, thankfully Kendrick offered us a ride.We decided to go to Roadkill Bar and catch a bit of Barefoot Skinny’s Joke night. Coconut Leo was onstage making us laugh with his silly jokes and then he sang Redemption song by Bob Marley, and Barefoot Skinny accompanied him on guitar.