Tropical Storm Brings St. Kitts & Nevis to a Halt

Though no serious damages were reported up to early afternoon on Sunday, the storm caused much disruption to business and social activities on both islands.

Because of the rough seas, all ferries that usually travel between Basseterre and Charlestown had to be cancelled, with waves, at times reaching to 2.4 – 3.4m or 8 – 11ft.Bus-terminal-Basseterre

The poor visibility, high winds and massive rainfall also led to the cancellation of flights into the two airports; Robert Bradshaw International on St. Kitts and Vance Amory on Nevis. Affected airlines included LIAT and American Airlines. Both were closed up to early Sunday afternoon but are likely to resume activity on Monday, once conditions permit.

Reports from local hotels confirm that the storm delayed the arrival and departure of some guests. A number of guests from the Four Seasons Resort in Nevis had to be accommodated at the St. Kitts Marriott in Frigate, after their flights were cancelled, on both Saturday and Sunday.

Supermarkets, drug stores, churches, public transport, gas stations and other commercial enterprises were closed up to early Sunday afternoon, with most motorists queuing in long lines at the sole gas station that managed to open in Basseterre.

Warnings by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, seemed to have been adhered to by most residents, resulting in empty streets for most parts, though some essential services employees were observed making the trek to their work places.

Ferry-at-Basseterre-PortKittitians and Nevisians remained on the alert for possible flooding, due to the very heavy downpours, but no incidents were reported as a result of water damage.

The island of St. Kitts did however experience periods of power outages on Saturday and Sunday. There were also reports of fallen trees and electrical poles in some rural districts of the island.

By Sunday afternoon the storm was said to have passed about 40 miles SSW of the St. Kitts, with winds around 50 MPH.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said that as the winds continue to strengthen, Irene could become a hurricane by Monday, as it approaches Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

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