Hurricane Sandy about to sweep across Jamaica

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Powerful late season storm could affect U.S. East Coast

Hurricane Sandy will engulf Jamaica in the next few hours.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Jamaica is about to take a direct hit from what is now Hurricane Sandy, which is generating sustained winds of 80 mph just off the island nation’s southern coast. Hurricane warnings are in effect for the entire island, where six to 12 inches of rain is expected, leading to dangerous flooding.

Sandy’s storm surge will raise water levels by as much as one to three feet above normal along Jamaica’s southern and eastern coast, along with large and dangerous waves. Hurricane-force winds extend outward about 25 miles from the center of the storm, with tropical storm force winds extending outward up to 140 miles.

A hurricane warning is also in effect for most of eastern Cuba, where the storm surge could reach three to five feet along the southeastern coast. An even more intense storm surge of five to eight feet is expected in the Bahamas, where a hurricane watch is in effect.

A tropical storm watch has also been issued for parts of Florida’s southeastern coast.

Sandy will pass over Jamaica Wednesday afternoon and evening and reach Cuba Wednesday night and approach the Bahamas Thursday. Tropical storm conditions are possible along the southeast Florida coast Friday.

Beyond that, each subsequent forecast model has been pushing the storm closer to the East Coast, where emergency preparations have started. Some tracks show the storm interacting with an approaching cold front and hitting the North East as a powerful non-tropical storm, but the exact path is still uncertain.

 

 

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Tropical Storm Sandy forms, likely to hit Jamaica

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Slow-moving storm headed for Cuba, Bahamas

Tropical Storm Sandy is quickly gathering strength in the southwestern Caribbean and could rake much of Jamaica with 70 mph winds.

Tropical Storm Sandy gathers strength over the Caribbean.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Tropical Storm Sandy, the 18th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, is generating winds of 40 mph and gaining strength over the warm waters of the Caribbean, south of Cuba. Tropical storm warnings have been issued for Jamaica and Haiti, where five to 10, and up to 16 inches of rain may fall, leading to dangerous flash flooding.

The storm is expected to be at or near hurricane strength when it approaches the south coast of Jamaica Wednesday, with sustained winds of 80 mph. For now, Tropical storm-force winds extend out about 70 miles from the center of the storm.

Once the storm tracks across Jamaica and Cuba the forecast models diverge, with some forecasts turning the storm out to sea, while others bring the system closer to the U.S. East Coast.

The storm is expected to intensify the next couple of days, then weaken as it interacts with the mountainous terrain of the islands, and starts to encounter southwest wind shear, but could still be packing winds of 65 mph as it nears the Bahamas later in the week.

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Travel: U.S. policy changes ease travel to Cuba

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

New federal licensing program enables tour companies to set up cultural immersion and people-to-people travel packages

Havana, Cuba. PHOTO COURTESY YMT VACATIONS.

View of Havana from El Morro. PHOTO COURTESY YMT VACATIONS.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Changes in U.S. policy on travel to Cuba have enabled companies like YMT Vacations to introduce new tours under federal license aimed an enhancing cultural understanding.

Getting the needed permits took six months, but was worth the process, said YMT Vacations VP of marketing Richard Genovese. The 9-night cultural immersion features an in-depth exploration of Havana and Santa Clara as well as cultural and educational activities designed to give program participants a meaningful understanding of the island nation. Departures begin Sept. 4, 2012. (more…)

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Travel: U.S. eases access to Cuba

Posted on January 16, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Fidel Castro and members of the East German Politburo view the border between East Germany and West Germany in this 1972 image from the German Federal Archive. (PHOTO VIA WIKIPEDIA).

Absurd U.S. policies echo totalitarian East German Cold War travel rules

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY —News about the U.S. easing travel restrictions to Cuba made me think back to when  I was growing up on U.S. Army bases in Germany.

The Cold War and the Iron Curtain around eastern Europe manifested in very tangible ways. West Berlin, technically part of West Germany, was completely surrounded by Communist East Germany, and we couldn’t just hop into a car or on to a train and go there at will.

Instead, traveling to Berlin involved making special reservations on a so-called duty train, intended mainly for U.S. soldiers and their families stationed in Berlin. The train left Frankfurt late at night and traveled through East Germany in the dark, to prevent Americans from “spying” on East Germany during daylight hours. (more…)

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