WORST POSSIBLE NEWS FOR PUERTO RICO. (4:00PM 9/21/17). My heart breaks, as history is about to transpire in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. As if this hurricane season hasn’t been terrible enough, tonight and Wednesday, the center of Extremely Dangerous Maria is expected to move across St. Croix and Puerto Rico. NHC says: ” It now appears likely that Maria will
be at category 5 intensity when it moves over the U. S. Virgin
Islands and Puerto Rico”. “Maria’s core is expected to move near or over St. Croix and Puerto Rico tonight and Wednesday, bringing life-threatening wind, storm surge, and rainfall impacts to portions of those islands.”
This, I’m afraid is the worst possible case scenario for Puerto Rico. They have had not had a direct Category 5 hurricane strike since 1928. Please keep the people of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in your thoughts and prayers.
Winds in Maria have increased to 165 mph, moving WNW at 10, with an incredible central pressure of 916 Mbs.
I’m aboard an aircraft now returning from California. I’ll have a complete on the tropics and our weather in the morning.