Hurricane Dorian Closes in on Puerto Rico

While not massive in size, Hurricane Dorian could cause havoc to the Spanish Virgin Islands and the eastern end of Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from 2017’s Hurricane Maria. The storm is teetering on the edge between  tropical storm and hurricane, but leaning toward the upgrade before it makes landfall this morning. This means strong winds, waves, storm surge and potential flooding from torrents of rain.

While it looks likely to spare the Caribbean’s prime chartering area of the US and British Virgin Islands, Dorian is expected to strike later today in eastern Puerto Rico, which is home to the capital San Juan and the largest marinas and cruising grounds on the island. Just to the east of San Juan are the very popular Spanish Virgin Islands with their pristine beaches and numerous anchorages.

Thus far, the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season has been about average in terms of the number of named storms. Dorian passed over Barbados and St. Lucia yesterday, dumping “heavy rain on the Windward Islands,” according to USA Today. “In Barbados, crews were clearing downed trees, and much of the island’s northern region was without power.” After passing Puerto Rico, Dorian is currently forecast to head toward the northern Abacos in the Bahamas before making landfall in Florida.

But with summer water temperatures reaching their peak in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, we’re headed into prime hurricane season. At the moment, fortunately, there aren’t any other tropical disturbances forming in either the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific.