"We are thankful to God for sparing Antigua and Barbuda from greater damage", Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer said. Puerto Rico's Governor Luis Fortuno stated, "We have been quite fortunate. We did not take a direct hit. It was not as serious as it could have been."

Hurricane Earl-Puerto Rico

None of the countries in Earl's path have reported any casualties thus far. In some countries however, thousands remain without power.

At this time Hurricane Earl, with top sustained winds close to 135 mph has moved away from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It is on a course that could land Earl near the Outer Banks of North Carolina by Sept. 3.

UPDATE:(BBC/CARIBBEAN- 9/3/10)- After a relatively slow start, the Atlantic-Caribbean season has become busy. Four of the 7 named storms have formed in the past 2 weeks.

Hurricane Earl

Forecasters had predicted a very active season, with at least 10 hurricanes expected. Weather Service International said pockets of dry air and shearing winds hindered the formation of pre-August storms. But now the season is into its traditionally busiest phase and the atmosphere is becoming more favourable for tropical development.

One of the factors is the continuation of a strong La Nina pattern, which effectively allows a storm to gather strength by diminishing wind shear. "As this La Nina continues to build, we should see above normal numbers of September and October storms," Matt Rogers of Commodity Weather Group told Reuters News.

Hurricane Earl's pounding winds and rain caused insured damage of between $50 million and $150 million in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, St. Maarten and St. Martin, according to catastrope- modeling firm AIR Worldwide. About half the estimate is attributed to dammages in St. Maarten, where strong winds tore roofs from buildings, downed trees and power lines and caused power outages. The storm also triggered a payout to Anguilla from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility.

FROM ARAWAKROOTS NEWS- At the present time, Tropical Storm Gaston skirted by the northeastern islands bringing only minor rainfall. Although Hermine was expected to be the next storm to form off the African coast, she pulled a fast one and formed in the Gulf of Mexico instead, bringing squally weather to the Mexican coast before moving into Texas, creating numerous problems. Now, all eyes are not only on the coast of Africa where Tropical Storm Igor is poised to make its run across the Atlantic, but also on the Caribbean Sea itself, where a new storm has flared up that could be named Julia. Stay tuned for updates to this news page.
UPDATE (9/13/10)- Now Hurricane Igor, with sustained winds topping 150 mph (high Cat.4), moving west at 10mph. Now at Lat 17.7, if Igor stays on its present course, it will make a direct hit on Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands. It is approx. 900 miles from the Northern Leeward Islands and is expected to begin moving in a more northwesterly direction sometime tomorrow. Tropical Storm Julia formed today off the coasts of the Cape Verde Islands and is taking the same path as Igor across the Atlantic. Top sustained winds are 60 mph. The storm that formed in the Caribbean Sea still does not have an organized center of circulation, but has been wreaking havoc on Haiti with very squally weather. Its present path will take it south of Cuba and into the Gulf of Mexico where it may form into a depression.
UPDATE (9/19/10)- The hurricane forecasters were on the mark, predicting the paths of both Hurricane Igor and Hurricane Julia. Igor turned northwest and then north weakening as it went. It is now a Cat.1 hurricane with sustained winds of 80 mph. Although Igor hasn't made landfall anywhere, it unfortunately will strike Bermuda sometime overnight before heading out into the northern Atlantic. Although Julia never reached the strength of Igor, there was a period on 9/15 when both Igor and Julia were Cat.4 hurricanes, making it the first time since 1926 that there were 2 Cat.4 storms in the Atlantic at the same time. Not long after, Julia got caught in Igor's "exhaust" and was broken apart and sent north where she wasn't a bother to anyone and has since dissapated. The tropical wave in the Caribbean became Hurricane Karl, a high Cat.1 storm when it made its second landfall in Mexico (its first was through the Yucatan Peninsula), where the hurricane did much damage to Veracruz with its 100 mph gusts.

ST. THOMAS, US VIRGIN ISLANDS (VI DAILY NEWS-9/1/10)- Clean-up efforts have begun in earnest as people ventured out of their homes to assess the damage left in the wake of Hurricane Earl. Fallen trees and downed power, cable and telephone lines cluttered the roads on St. Thomas and St. John, making some major roadways impassable.

Crews from VI Public Works and Waste Management were out at dawn to begin clearing the roads before the government's curfew was lifted at 9 AM. Water & Power line crews were out trying to restore power and clean up power lines and broken poles. The Donoe Bypass was blocked for part of the day as a crew repaired broken power poles.

A few boats suffered during the storm. A large tender to the mega-yacht "Shalimar", which spent the storm fighting wind and waves in Brewers Bay, washed up on the beach. Several sailboats were damaged. A few washed up on the western shore of Water Island. One in St. Thomas Harbor lost its mast.

Al Battiste, an Anna's Retreat resident who lost his home in Hurricane Marilyn in 1995, said that good building practices helped the island weather the storm. However Battiste said, "All my fruit trees came down- every one. I think it was a long night for everyone."

As Earl passed by St. Thomas, the recorded wind speed peaked at 69 mph and over 3 inches of rain fell.

Forecasters did not expect Tropical Storm Fiona to impact the territory but advised keeping a watchful eye. Fiona is expected to pass 120 miles to the north of St. John.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 9/7/10)- In a corner of the Delmas refugee camp, a sprawling conglomeration of crude tarpaulin homes, flickers a small ray of hope. Young children giggle as they pore over books and games in a large tent, protected both from the scorching sun and the anguish of the outside world. It's a veritable beacon in this ocean of despair.

Home to 17,000 people, Place de la Paix is one of Port-au-Prince's largest tent cities. Its safe haven for kids is one of the only places those lucky enough to work can send their children for free.

Haiti's tent city

But its future is uncertain. Although the charity CONCERN is striving to ensure its continuation, staff have been told there is limited funding to run the facility which looks after around 300 children a day. It's an all too familiar story across the city.

In the immediate aftermath of the devastating January 12 earthquake, the international community leapt to attention. Now, 9 months later, the eyes of the world are beginning to focus on other corners of the world.

But for Haiti's 1.3 million people still living in roadside tents and makeshift shelters, vulnerable to the elements, the struggle is only beginning. Delmas was one of the worst slum areas before the disaster, today its a galling testament to the way nature's wrath can rip the heart and soul from a community.

Many still refer to that fateful day as 'goudou goudou' for fear of summoning the atrocities back. It's an onomatapoeic reference to the sound the ground made the day it ravaged this already suffering nation, battered and bruised after decades of extreme poverty, violence and corruption.

Here at Delmas, electricity and running water are a distant memory from a former life. Food distribution ceased 2 months ago. Homes have been constructed from bits of corrugated iron and canvas- anything that could be salvaged. Five families live squashed together in one rickety structure that isn't bigger than 3 square metres. When it rains, which it does nearly every day this time of year, "too much water" comes inside.

People with jobs earn about $350 (US$9) a week. Some have been employed by the aid agencies to keep the camp as clean as possible. With 80% of buildings in Port-au-Prince destroyed, shelters were hastily constructed in every conceivable space. Many camps are on private land.

Depression is a common theme, along with domestic violence. Recovery from the worst disaster in modern history in one of the world's most notoriously corrupt and impoverished countries was never going to be easy. Many people will never be able to afford to get their homes fixed or build another.

And as international attention shifts to the next global disaster, how long Haiti is enslaved to these putrid conditions is anyone's guess. After losing loved ones, homes and businesses, worldly goods and dignity, it's as monstrous as the 'goudou goudou' itself.

HAVANA, CUBA (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 9/9/10)- Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro has said the Cuban model no longer works for the country. He made the comment in an interview with US journalist Jeffrey Goldberg from THE ATLANTIC magazine, whom Castro personally invited to Cuba.

"The Cuban model doesn't work even for us anymore," he told Goldberg. It is clear Castro hasn't abandoned the principles of socialist revolution, but this is an overt acceptance by the 84-year-old former leader that state control of the economy in Cuba is gradually being loosened. Last month, Raul Castro- Fidel's younger brother and present leader of Cuba- announced to the National Assembly that small businesses would now be permitted and small business owners would have the right to employ and pay employees.

Recent examples include hairdressers as well as a growing number of taxis and buses.Agriculture and tourism have also opened to private investment.

Goldberg wrote on his blog on the ATLANTIC website that Castro's "body may be frail, but his mind is acute, his energy level is high." Since he fell ill in 2006, Castro's public appearances have been rare. In recent months however, he has made a series of public speeches and televised appearances. He has recently made a number of warnings of the danger of a nuclear war between the West and Iran.

When questioned about his stance during the Missile Crisis of 1962, with his recommendation that the Soviets bomb the US, Castro said, "After I've seen what I've seen and knowing what I know now, it wasn't worth it at all."

ST.JOHN, USVI (ST.JOHN SOURCE- 8/26/10)- St. John residents will have to wait awhile before they'll be able to buy fresh, organic produce grown locally, but the concept is closer to fruition. The Agricultural Dept. broke ground on land adjacent to the Agricultural station in Coral Bay leased to seven St. John residents who want to farm organically.

According to Agricultural Commissioner Louis Petersen Jr., the department will grow seedlings at the Agricultural Station to help the farmers get their efforts under way. The leased garden plots wrap around the sides and the rear of the Agricultural Station, which occupies 2-acres near Love City Mini-Mart in Coral Bay. A Farmer's Market at the site will be developed so the farmers will have a way to sell their produce.

The people selected to lease quarter-acre plots of land for $20 a year are Carol Beckowitz, Mareen Carsels, Colleen Brooker, Peter Amedee, Jacqueline Clendinen, Delroy "Ital" Anthony and Paul "Osisi" Samms. Samms spoke at length about the benefits of eating organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables. "I see that major diseases are caused by unhealthy eating habits", he noted.

Osisi Samms receives his lease.

While the Agricultural Dept. has leased land to farmers on St. Thomas and St. Croix for years, this is the first time it has done so on St. John. And, this is the first effort at organic farming for the department.

The Agricultural Dept. sponsored a farmers market in Cruz Bay Park in early August with mainly farmers from St. Thomas and St. Croix that was quite successful and plans to hold another one.

In other Coral Bay news, VI Senator Craig Barshinger announced at the groundbreaking ceremony, that the US Forestry Service's Forest Legacy Program will fund the majority of the estimated $8 million to $9 million needed for a 170-acre territorial park in Estate Carolina on land owned by the Egbert Marsh Trust. The local government will have to come up with $2.2 million. Barshinger said a bill to fund the amount can now go forward because of the Forest Legacy Program's commitment.

ST. JOHN, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 8/27/10)- A St. John woman who was transferred last week to a Miami hospital with possible dengue fever symptoms died from complications, her husband said. Mark Campion stated that doctors suspected his wife- Sandra Brown- had died from complications of dengue fever and heart failure, although he did not know whether that had been confirmed through testing.

Campion said the 47-year-old Brown had been healthy and had no medical conditions when she fell
ill. She started having symptoms- including fever, chills and bone pain- about 8 days before she died. Brown initially went to the health center in St. John for treatment on Aug. 17 and again on Aug. 18, when she was transferred to Schneider Hospital in St. Thomas. On Aug. 19, she was transferred to Jackson Memorial in Miami where she died the following morning.

So far this year, there have been 8 laboratory-confirmed cases of dengue fever in the Virgin Islands. There are also 3 probable cases awaiting results and 15 suspected cases. However, the V.I. Health Dept. had no knowledge of this particular case.

ST. JOHN, USVI (ARAWAKROOTS NEWS- 9/10/10)- For anyone that knows Cruz Bay culture, this may be the saddest news we have to report this month. HERCULES PATE DELIGHT and Food Van were destroyed by fire on August 25.

Cruz Bay's Zulu Company responded to the call at about 2:30 AM, but when they arrived the shop was fully engulfed in flames and they were already spreading to the food van. It took firefighters about 45 minutes to control the blaze.

The cause is under investigation, but arson is not suspected. No one was injured.

For 20-odd-years, Arthur Hercules served up St. John's best pates from his modest little food stand, and had garnered a large following of locals. Tourists also would seek him out, excited to get a taste of truly local food.

If you ever had one of Hercules' heaping plates of stew mutton, curry chicken or oxtail- complete with fungi, rice and peas and dumpling- please shed a tear with me now. Knowing Arthur's stamina, he will set up shop again somewhere in town and soon. Bless.

MUSIC NEWS:

ARAWAKROOTS NEWS-(9/10/10)- This month, we send out 'big ups' to 2 artists who recently left the band's they helped front: Laura "Eva Bless" Haykel, former Lead Vocalist with Mosaic Foundation and Paul "Osisi" Samms, one of the Lead Vocalists and Songwriters of Inner Visions.

After only a year, Mosaic Foundation imploded, releasing but a 3-song EP. But, people got to hear the stunning, soulful vocals of dynamo Eva Bless, especially on the track "Solutions". Although disheartened by the band's lost opportunity, she soldiered on; listening to various backing tracks until she found one that fit from ITATION RECORDS catalog. Adding her lyric titled "Missin' & Lovin' " to their track, she is creating a new female reggae vibe. Bless states that she doesn't want to be pigeon-holed with the "reggae artist" label, as she is looking towards a more well-rounded "World Music Artist" vibe. She wishes to work with many artists of all musical persuasions and is excited to begin work on her first solo full-length project. With reggae being the easiest for Eva to smoothly slip into, Missin' & Lovin' is a sure bet to get her air-play. Right now it is in final mix, but here is a sample of a rough demo- LOVE IT!

Eva Bless - Missin' & Lovin' sample

After over 25 years as one of the founding members of Inner Visions, Paul "Osisi" Samms felt it was time to expand on his own personal vision when he left the group earlier this year. The yearly grind of touring the States and coming home with little to show for it had taken its toll. Osisi not only wanted to spend more time with organic farming (see above article), but also to step outside the reggae genre and try other sounds and rhythms. Working out of small St. John studios with Mixer/Producers such as "Beeble" Callwood and others, he is finding comfort in the new music he is creating. Early this year- with Pato Foster engineering- Osisi laid down basic tracks for 4 songs: Tell Me, A Time To Love, How Can We Forget?, and Gunshots (So Unkind). He was so pleased with the sound of them that he is expanding on two of them to prepare for a single release: Tell Me and Gunshots. Still in production, here is a sample of a demo of "Tell Me". ENJOY!

Osisi - Tell Me sample

EDITORIAL: THIS MONTH - 15 YEARS AGO.

With all the talk of the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and its devastation of New Orleans, I felt it appropriate to bring up another hurricane anniversary, one only remembered in the minds of those in the Caribbean islands it wreaked havoc on: the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Marilyn. I personally saw the destruction in the Virgin Islands, especially in St. Thomas- where it seemed there wasn't a roof on anything nor a leaf on any tree (that is, the one's still standing). To this day, I still can't believe what I saw, heard and felt. Personally, it changed my life forever.

Hurricane Marilyn prior to its hit on St. Thomas

Below are 2 articles that appeared in the ST. PETERSBURG TIMES on Sept. 20 and 21, 1995 respectively and were reported by Chuck Murphy. They at least give a bit of insight into the hurricane's destruction and the resiliency of the people of the Caribbean.

ST. THOMAS, USVI (9/20/95)- Past the destroyed homes and businesses on a road littered with the carcasses of $100,000 yachts, a series of trucks carried hope today through Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas' largest city- Beer. Flatbed trucks, pickup trucks and delivery vans full of it.

On an island with no running water, beer would seem an odd choice. But these are the Caribbean islands- and the loss of the winter tourist season will leave far more lasting damage than Hurricane Marilyn's devastation.

After 3 days of dazed mourning,Virgin Islanders are trying to get back to their business. Beer flowed, taxis beeped, and ferries began making trips between neighboring islands. But it is far from normal. It may take 6 months before power is fully restored (there is none now), a year before homes and businesses look the same (to this day, some have never recovered.- Pato).

"We have beer now, but it is not cold. There is not enough ice," said Harold Blyden, a taxi driver in Charlotte Amalie. "We would prefer it chilled, but that may take time."

Time is something islanders don't have. The winter tourist season begins soon. Already the deserted cruise terminals are bemoaned by taxi drivers and shopkeepers who- thanks to FEMA insurance- can afford to lose their homes, but not their livelihoods.

Hurricane Marilyn, which arrived here late in the evening of Sept. 15 with 115-mph sustained winds, absolutely wrecked the place. The damage appears to fall in 3 categories: if the house was made of concrete with a corrugated roof- the roof is gone. If the house was made of wood- the house is gone. If a boat was within a mile of land, it is now sailing on asphalt.

Some government estimates said 95% of homes and businesses on St. Thomas and St. John were damaged. That may be a little high, but not by much. Every hotel and resort on the 2 islands was damaged extensively.

But, while the boats and pieces of roofing are still scattered all around the islands, there are signs of recovery:
* On St. Thomas, most of the major roadways were cleared of trees and downed power poles. Though there is still plenty of debris to maneuver around, travel is possible for the first time since the hurricane arrived.
* St. John, where trees were denuded and resorts suffered serious damage, was beginning to look itself again. The sidewalk cafes were serving cold beer and chicken, and music played from generator-powered stereos.
* Airline flights have resumed, though returning to San Juan from St. Thomas is still a challenge. Yesterday, tourists still wandered the wrecked international airport like zombies with luggage. But by late in the day, a squadron of American Eagle commuter planes got all of them off the island just as US Army troops were breaking out rifles to enforce a 6PM to 6AM curfew.

All have alot of work to do. Some have more to do than others. One of the worst hit areas of St. Thomas is Estate TuTu. There, on the island's east side, a sidewalk leads to a frame house that no longer exists. It is flattened below, on top of a neighbor's roof.

Estate TuTu-Sept.16,1995

Windows are broken everywhere, partly a delayed result of Hurricane Luis. After that storm passed without doing much damage to St. Thomas, hundreds of residents sent their plywood to St. Martin, where it was needed after Luis hit that island hard. So, before Marilyn came, plywood was scarce in St. Thomas. Now it is everywhere- in pieces.

"We really were not prepared for this," Blyden, the taxi driver, said. "I am going to put a concrete roof on my house when I fix it. After Hugo, and now this...I'm tired of being wet."

TORTOLA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS (9/21/95)- It used to be called "the coconut telegraph", but the ferry boats that carried news and gossip throughout the Caribbean Islands have become a lifeline. Each day since Hurricane Marilyn, vessels loaded to the gunwales with ice, food, water and generators sail southwest from Tortola to St. Thomas and St. John.

There is no official government planning, no FEMA officials to oversee vessel manifests. It's just family, friends and neighbors helping out. It is a 30-minute trip, but the difference between Tortola and St. Thomas feels like 30 years. Tortola has electrity. Tortola has phones. Tortola has water, grocery stores and normalcy.

On St. Thomas, just 24 hours after Marilyn's direct hit on the island, ferry boats began sneaking out
of their "hurricane holes". Several times a day, each boat now carried full ice chests and boxes of bottled water and food. Dozens of pleasure boats- some as small as 15 feet- also are making the run across the calm seas that separate devastation from paradise.

The volume could never match that of FEMA, which has set up distribution points for water and food throughout the islands. But the boats have an added attraction- choice. The boat captains carry empty ice chests from St. Thomas. For a small fee, they will take your order and your ice chest to Tortola, fill it up and return 2 hours later.

Although price gouging is certain to exist somewhere in the islands, these captains seemed to assign prices based on the buyer's ability to pay. "For you, $5," one captain said to a man waving a 10-dollar bill. He then pointed to an obviously destitute man and handed him a bag for free. It was also clear on the Red Hook dock that many buyers and sellers had known each other for years. Here in the Virgin Islands, the crisis will pass and the people of St. Thomas, St. John, Tortola and Virgin Gorda will still have to live together.

"We may not always like each other, but we have to cooperate," said taxi driver Harold Blyden. "It is the only way to survive." For the generous Tortolans, it helps to know that they could be the ones waving the money, instead of the ones with the ice. Had Marilyn stuck to its original course, that would have been the case.

A final word: People in St. Thomas and St. John who were there in 1995, still get wide-eyed and speak in hushed tones when relating their experience during Hurricane Marilyn. Some say they can still hear her thrashing, howling winds in their minds, even to this day.

Soon after, The Violaters band from St. Croix, recorded a song dedicated to the 1995 hurricane season titled simply "Hurricane" (Although St. Croix did suffer extensive damage from Marilyn, it was minor compared to that of St.Thomas/St. John. They had functional recording studios afterward!). It aptly sums up the frustration everyone felt after the string of storms that year had them dodging first left, then right, then running over each other, just for a bag of ice. At the time they recorded this song, Tropical Storm Sebastien was knocking on the door and it was late October!
You can hear the weariness in the singer's voice. I thought it an appropriate time to dust off this classic piece of Crucian Soca and dedicate it to everyone who has survived first, the hurricane and second, each other- after the hurricane. Enjoy this sample. Blessings to you!

Violators - Hurricane sample

Give Thanks and Praises to the Most High JAH for life and love- every day in every way!
Pato