Global Voices Online » US Virgin Islands http://globalvoicesonline.org The world is talking. Are you listening? Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:25:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 The world is talking. Are you listening? Global Voices Online no The world is talking. Are you listening? Global Voices Online » US Virgin Islands http://img.globalvoicesonline.org/Logos/GV-Logo-Vertical/gv-logo-below-square-144.gif http://globalvoicesonline.org/-/world/americas/us-virgin-islands/ U.S. Virgin Islands: Monitoring Erika http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/09/03/u-s-virgin-islands-monitoring-erika/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/09/03/u-s-virgin-islands-monitoring-erika/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:13:24 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=94320 Bloggers in the U.S. Virgin Islands are keeping their eye on Tropical Storm Erika.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/09/03/u-s-virgin-islands-monitoring-erika/feed/ 0 Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.V.I.: Hurricane Bill http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/08/19/trinidad-tobago-u-s-v-i-hurricane-bill/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/08/19/trinidad-tobago-u-s-v-i-hurricane-bill/#comments Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:44:49 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=91620 Caribbean bloggers on Hurricane Bill - here, here and here.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/08/19/trinidad-tobago-u-s-v-i-hurricane-bill/feed/ 0 Trinidad & Tobago, Cuba, U.S.V.I.: Eye on the Weather http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/08/17/trinidad-tobago-cuba-u-s-v-i-eye-on-the-weather/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/08/17/trinidad-tobago-cuba-u-s-v-i-eye-on-the-weather/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:40:36 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=91248 This Beach Called Life and Coffeewallah blog about Trinidad and Tobago's rainy season, while Havana Times is keeping an eye on Hurricane Bill and News of St. John says that “Ana has arrived”.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/08/17/trinidad-tobago-cuba-u-s-v-i-eye-on-the-weather/feed/ 0 U.S.V.I.: Alternative Energy http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/08/13/usvi-alternative-energy/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/08/13/usvi-alternative-energy/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:14:25 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=90676 The U.S. Virgin Islands will soon have two alternative energy facilities which will “convert an estimated 146,000 tons per year of municipal solid waste into refuse-derived fuel.” Repeating Islands has the details.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/08/13/usvi-alternative-energy/feed/ 0 U.S. Virgin Islands: Mild Season? http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/06/04/us-virgin-islands-mild-season/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/06/04/us-virgin-islands-mild-season/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:36:51 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=78336 News of St. John links to a report which suggests that “the hurricane season which began Monday may be quite mild in the U.S. Virgin Islands.”

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/06/04/us-virgin-islands-mild-season/feed/ 0 Jamaica, U.S. Virgin Islands: Cruise Control http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/29/jamaica-us-virgin-islands-cruise-control/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/29/jamaica-us-virgin-islands-cruise-control/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 14:42:16 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=77188 The popularity of cruises to Caribbean destinations gets Jamaican diaspora blogger Labrish thinking about “the overwhelm of the environment, marine and land, that these mega-cities-on-the-sea bring with them.”

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/29/jamaica-us-virgin-islands-cruise-control/feed/ 0 Caribbean: WI Cricket Website http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/02/02/caribbean-wi-cricket-website/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/02/02/caribbean-wi-cricket-website/#comments Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:10:38 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=56268 West Indies Cricket Blog thinks that “the official website of the West Indies Cricket Board…is now a waste of space on the world wide web. An embarrassment and a disgrace…”

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/02/02/caribbean-wi-cricket-website/feed/ 0 U.S. Virgin Islands: Students to Attend Inauguration http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/01/14/us-virgin-islands-students-to-attend-inauguration/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/01/14/us-virgin-islands-students-to-attend-inauguration/#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:27:19 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=55361 News of St. John reports that “three students from the Gifft Hill School will be on hand when Barack Obama takes the oath of President next Tuesday.”

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/01/14/us-virgin-islands-students-to-attend-inauguration/feed/ 0 U.S.V.I.: After Omar http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/20/usvi-after-omar/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/20/usvi-after-omar/#comments Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:56:23 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=51635 News of St. John posts a few photos of the island post-Hurricane Omar.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/20/usvi-after-omar/feed/ 0 Caribbean: Omar Rains Down http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/17/caribbean-omar-rains-down/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/17/caribbean-omar-rains-down/#comments Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:42:00 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=51546 The Caribbean is officially in the midst of its wet season, but many regional territories are battling more than their fair share of sogginess, thanks to the torrential rains that accompanied Tropical Storm Omar - a storm that was soon upgraded to a Category 3 Hurricane as it forged a path through the northern Caribbean.]]>
“Looking Towards Pte. Michel” - Photo by Steve Mc, used with permission. Visit Steve's flickr photostream.

The Caribbean is officially in the midst of its wet season, but many regional territories are battling more than their fair share of sogginess, thanks to the torrential rains that accompanied Tropical Storm Omar - a storm that was soon upgraded to a Category 3 Hurricane as it forged a path through the northern Caribbean.

Cuaderno Latinoamericano said that the region was being “pounded”:

Shortly before approaching the islands as a Category 3 hurricane, Omar's maximum sustained winds had increased to 125 mph, but slowed a bit to 115 mph after moving rapidly away from the islands.


“Waves break on the Roseau Bayfront” - Photo by Steve Mc, used with permission. Visit Steve's flickr photostream.

Blogging form the US Virgin Islands, News of St. John was very concerned about the approaching weather system, but soon reported that things looked a-okay after it had passed:

Beautiful weather has returned to the Virgin islands, to judge by a report this morning filed by a Weather Channel meteorologist from Puerto Rico. He said PR got .25 inches of rain, St. Thomas about 2 1/2 and St Croix nearly 5, suggesting St John got something like 3 or 4.

Despite the minimal disruption to the Virgin Islands, Omar was being taken very seriously, causing several flights to be canceled, according to Discover TnT Blog:

LIAT has advised the suspension of several flights as a result of anticipated severe weather conditions generated by Hurrican Omar. Omar is the 15th hurricane formed in the Atlantic during this year's hurricane season, which is supposed to end on Novemeber 30.

Storm alerts have been posted for the islands of Guadeloupe, St Maarten, Saba, St Eustatius and St Barthelemy. Luckily, storm-battered Haiti, Cuba and Jamaica have been spared.

Meanwhile, Omar's effects were being felt in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Abeni wrote - almost incredulously - about the storm's impact:

It didn't rain last night-well not in a manner that was noticeable. Yet, this morning we awoke to the news that the sea had wreaked havoc in coastal areas and town. Would you believe we got surges from Omar? On my way into Kingstown, I looked towards the harbour and the Grenadines and saw some angry looking waves and realised that peacefulness had not yet returned.

She continued:

It underlies how really vulnerable we are to natural disasters. In the twinkling of an eye everything can literally fall down around us and we are powerless to stop it. Mother Nature, when not showing her softer side can be one deadly woman that we would be well advised to steer far from. I guess the events of last night are a reminder that we really should shed our lackadaiscal attitudes to disaster preparedeness.


“Tail End of Hurricane Omar, Bay Front Dominica” - Photo by TropicallyTied, used with permission. Visit her flickr photostream.

Dominica Weekly said that the “nature isle” also experienced a taste of Omar:

Within the last 16 hours there have been numerous reports of coastal damages to the west coast villages (i.e. Pointe Michel, Newtown, Dublanc, Portsmouth, etc.) of Dominica due to high sea swells…


“Pte. Michel Road after Hurricane Omar” - Photo by Steve Mc, used with permission. Visit his flickr photostream.

Miraculously, though, Omar seemed to have wreaked much less havoc than his 2008 Hurricane Season predecessors. His bark was worse than his bite - soon after threatening the north-eastern Caribbean, Omar weakened back to the level of a Tropical Storm.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/17/caribbean-omar-rains-down/feed/ 1 U.S.V.I.: Hurricane Omar http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/16/usvi-hurricane-omar/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/16/usvi-hurricane-omar/#comments Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:42:29 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=51505 On its path from Aruba to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Tropical Storm Omar has become a hurricane. News of St. John reports, and posts a video update, here.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/16/usvi-hurricane-omar/feed/ 0 U.S. Virgin Islands: Earthquake http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/13/us-virgin-islands-earthquake/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/13/us-virgin-islands-earthquake/#comments Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:32:26 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=51356 The U.S. Virgin Islands experienced an earthquake over the weekend. News of St. John reports.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/13/us-virgin-islands-earthquake/feed/ 0 US Virgin Islands: Landfill Flames http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/10/us-virgin-islands-landfill-flames/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/10/us-virgin-islands-landfill-flames/#comments Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:23:27 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/10/us-virgin-islands-landfill-flames/ “The ever-smoldering Bovoni landfill burst into flames again”: News of St. John links to video of the incident.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/10/us-virgin-islands-landfill-flames/feed/ 0 Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, US Virgin Islands: American Politics http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/11/jamaica-trinidad-tobago-us-virgin-islands-american-politics/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/11/jamaica-trinidad-tobago-us-virgin-islands-american-politics/#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:58:03 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/11/jamaica-trinidad-tobago-us-virgin-islands-american-politics/ “American Politics! Didn't I exorcise you back in College?” asks Jamaican Marlon James, while Trinidadian blogger Further Thoughts reports: “With almost 89.9% of the votes, Obama has swept the U.S. Virgin Islands primary.”

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/11/jamaica-trinidad-tobago-us-virgin-islands-american-politics/feed/ 0 US Virgin Islands: Democracy in Action http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/08/us-virgin-islands-democracy-in-action/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/08/us-virgin-islands-democracy-in-action/#comments Fri, 08 Feb 2008 12:20:37 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/08/us-virgin-islands-democracy-in-action/ News of St. John notes that the Virgin Islands' Democratic Caucuses will be held tomorrow.

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