I don’t know about you, but I woke up to several messages this morning about how quickly Hurricane Erin transformed from a relatively weak cat one to a fierce cat five over the past 24 hours. The good news is that the track is still keeping Erin’s eye well north or us, but we will still see her impacts in St. John and throughout the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico today and tomorrow.
As of 11 a.m. Saturday, Hurricane Erin has maximum sustained winds of 160 miles per hour, which is intense. There is some light wind and rain in Cruz Bay currently, but that’s about it. Wind gusts are expected to pick up throughout the day. According to my Windy app, the wind gusts will top out in the 40 mile per hour range. Let’s hope that holds true throughout the weekend.
The rain, however, is a different story. It looks like we will get several inches of rain by the time this is over. This will likely lead to flooding in certain areas like around the tennis courts in Cruz Bay.
According to VI Weather Lady (who is an invaluable resource on Facebook), thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are possible today around 2 p.m. We will likely experience tropical storm impacts tomorrow. She posts updates regularly, so definitely check her out.
Closings: Ports and Businesses
As of 11 a.m. Saturday morning, the ports remain open, and there is no indication that they are closing. The US Coast Guard will make the announcement if they are going to close. That announcement will be posted on their website here.
That being said, there have been a ton of flight cancellations, which I will detail below.
A few businesses have opted to close today in anticipation of the storm. The Windmill Bar is closed today, and will reopen tomorrow at noon, weather permitting. 1864 has also opted to close today. Several others are currently closed for their annual seasonal closing. Click here to check out Explore STJ’s seasonal closing list.
Flights
The airport remains open as of 11 a.m. Saturday; however there have been lots of flight cancellations.
Miami
- American’s 9 a.m. flight out of Miami has been delayed until tomorrow.
- American’s 10:04 a.m. flight out of Miami has been cancelled.
- American’s 12:44 p.m. flight to Miami has been delayed until tomorrow.
- American’s 1:50 p.m. flight to Miami has been cancelled.
- American’s 1:10 p.m. flight to STT is scheduled, but slightly delayed.
- American’s 5:10 p.m. flight to Miami is currently scheduled.
Charlotte
- American’s 7:21 a.m. flight from Charlotte almost made it, but it was diverted up to Miami after getting close to Puerto Rico.
- American’s 11:46 a.m. flight to Charlotte has been delayed until tomorrow.
- American’s 11:30 a.m. flight out of Charlotte has been cancelled.
- American’s 4:05 p.m. flight to Charlotte has been cancelled.
New York
- American Airlines’ 7 a.m. flight from JFK has been cancelled.
- American’s 11:40 a.m. flight back to JFK has been cancelled.
Boston
- JetBlue’s 840 a.m. flight out of Boston has been cancelled.
Chicago
- United’s 8:48 a.m. out of Chicago has been cancelled.
- United’s 2:10 p.m. flight to Chicago is delayed as of 11:45 a.m. Saturday. There is a plane en route from Newark that is expected to continue on to Chicago.
Philadelphia
- American’s 9:45 a.m. flight out of Philadelphia has been cancelled.
- American’s 2:45 p.m. flight to Philadelphia has been cancelled.
Houston
- United’s 9:48 a.m. flight out of Houston has been cancelled.
- United 4 p.m. flight to Houston has been cancelled.
San Juan
- JetBlue’s 4:10 p.m. flight to San Juan has been cancelled.
Delta and Spirit currently have flights en route. If you are on either of those airlines, you should be able to get out today normally.
Websites to Check for Updates
- If the port condition is set to Zulu, that means that the ports are closed. That announcement will be made on the US Coast Guard’s website here.
- VI Weather Lady (on Facebook)
- Explore STJ’s webcam page to see current conditions around St. John. You can view them all here.
- Flightstats – This gives details information on all flights, delays & cancellations. You can check that out here.
What To Do Today If You Are On Island
Lots of businesses, including Wharfside Village and Mongoose Junction are open. Sharky’s over in Coral Bay is open too. When it rains hard, the gut that runs underneath Mongoose becomes a raging river. It’s kind of neat to see. There should be big waves on the north shore at some point. But remember, driving can be tricky when it rains super hard, so please be careful out there.
Mike is bartending at High Tide today, so pop in and say hello if you’re on island! Stay safe (and dry!) everyone!
Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour
See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.