Tropical Storm Ernesto hit parts of the Windward Islands on Friday morning, bringing rain and occasionally robust gusts as forecasters predicted it could become a hurricane in the central Caribbean Sea by the end of the weekend.
The storm’s center passed over or nearly over St. Lucia in the eastern Caribbean and was about 90 miles west of the island shortly before 11 a.m. ET, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Ernesto – with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and faster gusts – was moving west at about 21 mph.
The storm is expected to bring 2 to 3 inches of rain – with isolated maximum amounts of 5 inches – to the Windward Islands, which include St. Lucia, through Friday, according to the center.
The Windward Islands are the southern portion of the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean, north of Venezuela and southeast of Puerto Rico.
Ernesto is forecast to move west through the eastern Caribbean before turning on a more west-northwest track Saturday night. It is expected to strengthen and possibly become a category 1 hurricane – with maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph – late this weekend.
The storm’s center could be near Jamaica late Sunday or early Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center’s three-day track forecast cone. But it’s too soon to predict whether it will hit the island, with the cone showing it could travel as many as 225 miles to the south.
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New Orleans...Its coming right for ya!
@PEDO BEAR: Don't say that. My grandmother lives in New Orleans. Our family is still dealing with public record issues even now after Katrina.
it's on the EXACT same track as katrina, so far. If i were in N.O., id be taking precautions.
Let's do this thang!
This usually is a laughing matter for those who will not be affected, but for those of us down here that could feel the wrath of these storms, it is anything but.
@bobcat: I agree and I hope you and your family stay safe down there.
Hello, Rawr.
Hello, Victoria.
May you and your loved ones stay safe...
Rawr, you've got to be feeling like "What?? AGAIN?"
You seem to have weathered many storms in your years there; but in the words of a very wise man I know, "This, too, shall pass."
@ Victoria
Thank you for your well wishes. We are in the wait and see mode at the current time. If and when it threatens, we complete our preparations. This time of year we are always in the readiness zone, that way, if need be, the prep time is cut down considerably.
@ banasy ©
So far counting, I've been through 4 major, a few minor, a forgotten number of tropical storms, and I'm still here. One thing you won't see this man doing is evacuating at the last minute. In just normally bad weather, people are idiots on the road. When it comes to hurricane evacuation time, you usually end up with total gridlock from people being panicked. I just can't imagine getting caught out on the open road with a hurricane roaring overhead and you stuck in the car. No No No.
We usually get together with friends and have a hurricane party. Fun Fun Fun
Either you're not living right or you need to move.
Bring on the storms...I build power lines for a living and I make most of my pay from the overtime I get from storm.
Slam it fast and hard and break every pole in the state.
Nita:
Re-read bobcat's post.
I don't think you grasped his meaning.
@bciah:
I know *exactly* what you mean.
The first snowfall here is the same way: life-long residents act as if they had never seen the white stuff before, and drive as idiotically as possible...
It is basically the same way when it rains, too, although there has been much less incidents of driving stupidity these last few months, given the lack of precipitation.
I'm always down for a good party; party on, Garth!
The direction Ernesto is traveling, providing it doesnt weaken over the Yucatan, it could bring us some much needed rain here in the RG Valley, Texas. Hope we dont get a direct landfall with feet of rain and wind, just enough to ease our drought.
I hope for you you get a little bit of it to get that drought fixed! Not too much though!
New Orleans has always had problems with public records; in fact the whole state has.
Lots of issues ovrr judt ehom where and how federal and local funfs went to.
N.O. is still partially under federal jurisdiction, lots ofnew federaly manfated revamping of school infrastructure, special. provisions gor upper clads houding areas and cadinos that now sit on lands that usrd to be private owned but feds said was slmost worthless wheen they condemed. private dwellings and allowed casinos and luxo hotels snd bling joints.
N.O. has been largest fomestic invidences of unpublivly declared Martial law and no follow ups anywhere.
Whole Katrina incidnt one big ongoing cluster. ,............ of special interest pandering and social engineering.
I thought they didn't repeat names this soon....there was a Hurricane Ernesto in 2006 that went up the east coast.
Have no fear. The once world leader in nuclear powerplant construction is now a garbage service. (Kellog-Brown&Root) They are currently still cleaning up the mess left by hurricane Katrina and the gulf "oilspill", but will be right with you, Ernesto.
(weather anchor hands microphone to crime weatherman)
Thank you, and we certainly hope some drought relief somes soon. And now, let's look at todays crime forcast. (map of USA appears on screen, with color-coded markings for various types of crime and fraud)
If you notice, our entire eastern and western seaboards are virtually one big cluster of marks...like old hippy vans...every color under the sun all garbled together. Over each city is a dark cloud. It would take a year to report one days "weather".
No wonder Uncle Sam can't clean US up. Wayyyyy to big of a mess for one government to handle.
Maybe NATO troops could be sent to each US city and one-by-one clean them up. Like, 100,000 NATO troops invading south central LA and staying until the crime rate reached 'zero', and then going to San Bernadino county next, or Bakersfield...whatever. It would work ya know. The locals would be a lot more cooperative than, say, Libyan locals were for NATO.
Wait. NATO is North Atlantic. OK. So NATO starts in Boston and POTO (Pacific Ocean Treaty Org) starts in LA.
POTO troops could include Russia, Ja pan, at least one of the Korea's, US, etc.
What? Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. are more important than US? i don't think so.
Bring it to Texas, we'll take it.
Amen, brother. I live on the East Coast, but have been praying for rain in Texas, such a great state, hang in there!
We don't want it in Key West, send it somewhere else.
I've lived in rural Ohio, Virginia, New York City, and now New Orleans. I can honestly say that I no longer see any place in America worth living in besides New Orleans. Your failure to understand New Orleans's beauty is your loss, but to each his own. Your need to go in and trash the city just for fun, however, is dangerous and sad.
As for hurricanes, yes New Orleans is susceptible. Most of the midwest is highly susceptible to tornados, and California (and much of the west coast) to earthquakes. You pick your poison anywhere you live. Meanwhile, New Orleans has one of the few great, unique cultures left anywhere in this mostly third world nation.
Very well said Todd. I live about an hour and a half from Nawlins and have visited many, many times. It's culture is one of a kind here in the US and should be celebrated and taken in to it's fullest. Anyone who can say it is an ugly city has not taken the time to look at it's history or culture. That or they aren't able to appreciate living history.
@Todd 6:49...I didn't trash New Orleans. It was trashed long before I ever visited.
And I say again, I don't know how you people live in inner cities. Everything is so dirty. Do you even have street sweepers?