Sept. 6, 2023 update: This is now Tropica Storm Lee, and it is still tracking to our north.
Sept. 5, 2023 – 11 a.m. Update: Invest 95L is now Tropical Depression 13 and is forecasted to be “a powerful hurricane by the end of the week,” according to the National Hurricane Center.
Original Story Posted at 10:15 a.m. on Sept. 5, 2023
Well folks, this is a story I’d rather not write. There is a system off to our east that we all need to keep a close eye on. According to the National Hurricane Center, this storm has a 100 percent chance of development over the next 48 hours and will likely become Tropical Storm Lee and subsequently Hurricane Lee later this week. The good news is that it is currently tracking to our north, but as we all know, these things can change. If it affects our area, it will happen sometime over the weekend. Here’s everything I know as of Tuesday morning…
Let’s start with the basics. Hurricanes typically start as thunderstorms in Africa. They roll off the west coast of Africa and then typically form over the warm waters of the Atlantic. They start as an invest, which is short for investigation, a term coined by the National Hurricane Center. If development continues, it becomes a tropical disturbance, depression, storm, and then ultimately a hurricane.
Invest 95L is located midway between West Africa and the Windward Islands as of this morning, September 5th. The US Virgin Islands are located in the Northern Leeward Islands. It’s moving west-northwest at 15-20mph.
The Spaghetti Models and my Windy app both show this storm tracking to our north. Let’s hope that holds true.
The Hurricane Hunters will check out the storm Thursday evening, In the meantime, the National Weather Services said that “interests in the northern Leewards Islands, including the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, should monitor the progress of this forecast closely this week and have their hurricane plans ready, in case it takes a more southern track.”
Is this something to cancel a vacation over? No. Is this something to keep an eye on? Yes. I will keep you posted.
Best Apps/Websites to Use to Keep an Eye on Storms
- National Hurricane Center
- Living Earth app – current world weather
- Windy.com – world’s current and predicted winds
- SpaghettiModels.com
- MyFoxHurricane.com
Want additional updates? Follow Explore STJ on social media.
Thanks for the heads up. I’m coming in Oct. Praying it fizzles out!
We’re due to arrive Friday at 1pm. What are the protocols as far as ferry, businesses etc. when a storm comes?
If a storm is imminent, the ports will close. But again, it’s tracking. Roth so hopefully that isn’t an issue. I’ll share info all week.