More Virgin Islands Flooding
UPDATE: Here's a video featuring the map below and Mahde's video:
I last blogged about flooding in the Virgin Islands on October 7 (and before that September 20). Unfortunately, tropical moisture is again attacking the Puerto Rico and the islands one month later. We're working on a story to address the forecast for the next few days, and I'll post it here when it's complete.
Meantime I'll speak on what has happened this week -- basically a stalled front to the north and low pressure system to the south have interacted to continually reform rain south of the islands and move it northeast across them. As a result, incredible rainfall amounts have again been reported. NOAA estimates say 10 to 15 inches of rain has fallen in parts of the U.S.V.I. during the past week:
In Saint Croix, U.S.V.I., one woman was killed late yesterday afternoon when she was swept into flood waters. A spotter there reported 7 inches of rain in 7 hours. A local news site says"Stormwater runoff has overwhelmed the Virgin Islands’ sewers, authority officials said, causing manhole covers to float away." In the British Virgin Islands, Facebook Fan Mahde S. shared the photo above of a mudslide and video of flooding, and noted that schools there were closed yesterday.
This is only the latest in a series of flooding events This brings rain totals in parts of the area to over 100 inches this year, based on NOAA estimates. Officially, Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, U.S.V.I. is tracking their wettest year on record and San Juan, Puerto Rico stands at 80.25", the fourth wettest.
