So we’re due to go to Turks and Caicos on Thursday for a few days R&R. Flying via Miami for the weekend. Unfortunately, it looks like there’s a tropical storm down in deep Caribbean. Are we crazy to travel?
I have no experience with tropical storms but even it misses Turks it may land on Miami and air travel will be shut down. Any advice from fellow Dopers who have experience with traveling and these sorts of storms?
Thanks!
There is almost no chance that the Turks and Caicos will be affected. Maybe a little (like 15 mph) wind and some bigger than normal seas. It is passing south of Hispaniola, quite a bit south.
Returning is a possible factor, depending on which day it is. The current track is west of Miami, with it passing by Monday evening. It isn’t going to be very strong as it will have just passed over Cuba. It will strengthen if it moves into the Gulf, but then it wouldn’t affect Miami.
If you’re connecting in Miami you can probably get rerouted through Atlanta or points north depending on your final destination.
Thanks Lamar. Getting stuck in Miami worries me but this makes me a little more comfortable.
I think you’re likely to be safe, Lochdale, but I’d hesitate to use language as strong as what Lamar Mundane used. I’ve seen too many storms change too unpredictably for that.
Right now, the weather patterns seem fairly strong for keeping the storm south of Hispanola. The NHC is predicting it to be just south of there around Thursday. All the reliable computer models agree, which is rare this early in a storm. That’s a good sign for you.
Hurricane Hunters were in the storm today, and the next set of model runs should have better data for initialization. We should have a clearer short-term picture tomorrow.
If you’re concerned, you could ask the place you are staying what their tropical storm plan is.
-D/a
Good points Digital. The real fear is being stuck there or In Miami.
I’m also traveling via Miami to PLS 25th to 28th. I called AA to see if I could get a credit to book another flight and they said I would have to pay all these rebooking fees! WTF Weather.com says the weather is going to be awuful… What do you plan to do?
Checking in here from the Keys. Business as usual until Sunday. Schools are already canceled for Monday. Nothing to do except wait now.
We decided to o go. My wife is six months pregnant and just didn’t want the hassle. I’m sure getting there would be fine but the forecast is for rain and then more rain. My real concern is getting stuck in Miami in the way back.
Going to spend some time at home and drink too much :). What did you decide to do?
Actually, you probably want to re check that statement, Lamar.
Right now TCIC is in the path of the storm and under Tropical Storm Warning.
Even if Isaac moves westerly, TCIC is on the wind side of the storm.
We were in Provo last week, can’t imagine all that sand blowing around.
http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/weather/storm_centre/storm_centre.html#axzz1uq7HJjlZ
You can click the clouds on!
Hi all! I’m sure that you’ve had good vacations this week and really glad that Isaac just brought some rain and rough seas. Our family and our cousins went to Provo last year. Our first week was perfect and our second week was an A-1 adventure tour.
Irene was supposed to pass us by to the South and we were only supposed to experience the edge of tropical storm force winds. Surprise! As a couple of days passed, it became more apparent that Irene was going to give us a bit more than expected. When we were certain that she was going to be a Category 1, the property management company boarded us up. We loaded up on water from the local grocer, along with canned goods and prepared for the worst. Because we were staying in two private cottages in Grace Bay, we were a bit frightened because we were going to be all alone and a bit isolated, but we brought all of the furnishings and bbq’s into one cottage & the property managers called to make certain we were okay and to let us know that the hurricane was now upgraded to a Category 3, with the eye passing us. We planned on “higher ground” (a ledge in the cottage) in case of a big storm surge and we all went into the one cottage to wait it out.
While the guys and children were sleeping peacefully, me and the other mom listened to coconuts pelting the wall like machine guns, and heard many other fierce noises. At around 3am, it was eerily silent for a short 10 or so minutes. We could see nothing when we looked outside except pitch black. The the viscious wind started to blow again - starting on the other side of the house - a whole new set of noises. By around 6am, the howling had calmed and by around 9 or 10am when everyone else was awake we ventured outside. Wow! No water was left in the pool, all of the porch screens blown out, our neighbour had lost her roof, no coconuts on the trees and no leaves at all left on the couple of hundred feet of once lush, green bushes surrounding the property. We walked around to see the destruction - So many of the huge trees had fallen! The most interesting of all was the beach. Normally about 30 or more feet wide, it was now reduced to a steep, 6 foot tall cliff about 10 feet wide with churning, milky water rushing around it - so cool!
I was so impressed with the way the TCI folks picked right up and began to fix things, pick up and replant the huge trees, clean up the debris and water and get right on with their lives - even in the poorest of areas (Five Cayes - kudos to you!). Within 3 days, power was restored to most of the island and though some areas were still challenging to access, most things were normal. The water, however, remained chalky for quite some time.
I wouldn’t be worried about weathering a hurricane in TCI - they are organized and very friendly folks who realy have their act together.
Hope you didn’t have totally crummy weather, but if you did - go visit again off of hurricane season and you will just LOVE it!
KZ