BVI News

First, early 2018 storm rocks region; at least two dead

Less than a week before the official start to the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Subtropical Storm Alberto has been identified as the first named storm of the season and it has already started wreaking havoc in the region.

Media reports are that Alberto dumped some 12 centimetres of rain on Cuba in less than eight hours, and certain sections of that country had to be evacuated.

Evacuations also happened on sections of the United States mainland where Alberto travelled and claimed the lives of two American journalists who were providing media coverage on the storm.

The journalists, namely Mike McCormick and Aaron Smeltzer, reportedly died when a falling tree crushed their car as they drove down a highway in North Carolina.

Meteorologists said Alberto eventually weakened to a tropical depression and subsequently saw wind speeds fall from 45 miles per hour to around 10 miles per hour on Monday night, May 28.

The storm originated east of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula last Friday.

According to a CNN report from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in theUnited States, the early storm doesn’t necessarily mean this year’s hurricane season will be as active as last year’s.

However, the NHC said the season is likely to be “near or above normal”.

Meanwhile, forecasters recently predicted some 16 named storms, eight hurricanes, and four major hurricanes this season.

BVI will be ready by peak of hurricane season — Pickering

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7 Comments

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  1. BVI Strong says:

    I’m glad to say we’ve made good use of the time since the last season ended; there’s almost no rubble or tin lying around and the shelters are all fixed.

    Nothing to worry about in Tortola. BVI Strong!

  2. Albion says:

    45 mile per hour winds? That is not a storm – that is windsurfing weather.

    • Theo says:

      This is the big dilemma, if it is wind, it’s a problem, if its is rain, it’s a problem.

      That’s why I don’t know how we’re going to handle this.

  3. VIslander, Maryland says:

    It was bad here on Saturday. Heavy rains, flooding, winds and thunder. The people in Ellicott Maryland a few Counties from where I live houses got flooded out.The day started out nice and sunny and then all hell broke loose.

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