Keithley Meade, Acting Director Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service October 16 th 2008

FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE ON 30 SEPTEMBER AND REACHED THE E.C ON 10 OCTOBER. SHOWER ACTIVITY SHOWED SIGNS OF ORGANIZATION ON 11 OCTOBER TD #13 FORMED ON 13 OCTOBER ABOUT 175 MILES NORTH-NORTHWEST OF CURACAO. MOVED SLOWLY AND ERRATICALLY ON OCTOBER AND BECAME A TS 14 OCTOBER ABOUT 125 MILES NORTH OF CURACAO. TURNED NORTHEASTWARD AND ACCELERATED ON 15 OCTOBER. BECAME A HURRICANE AND RAPIDLY STRENGTHENED TO A PEAK INTENSITY OF 125 MPH ON 16 AS IT PASSED THROUGH THE VIRGIN AND NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS. LATER THAT DAY, SOUTHWESTERLY VERTICAL WIND SHEAR CAUSED RAPID WEAKENING REDUCING IT TO A TROPICAL STORM EARLY ON 17TH OCTOBER. A TEMPORARY DECREASE IN THE SHEAR ALLOWED IT TO REGAIN HURRICANE STRENGTH LATER THAT DAY.. HOWEVER...IT WEAKENED BACK TO A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT DAY. MOVEMENT OVER COLDER SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES CAUSED OMAR TO DECAY TO A REMNANT LOW ON 18 OCTOBER ABOUT 820 MILES EAST OF BERMUDA. MOVED SLOWLY NORTHEASTWARD AND DISSIPATED EARLY ON 21 OCTOBER ABOUT 650 MILES WEST OF THE WESTERN AZORES ISLANDS. SOURCE(NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL)

Courtesy of Barrimore Gore - Observer on Duty at the time V.C Bird Int’l Airport

Lenny ‘99 Omar ‘08

St John’s City

Piggott's Village

Crabbe Hill

V.C Bird Int’l Airport

Airport Road

Jolly Harbour

Bendals

Conclusions The general public was well informed through radio and television appearances. All bulletins were faxed and ed to all concerned Disaster management officials however on hearing only a storm, even though 5 to 10 inches of rainfall was stressed, did not prepare for flooding. Shelters were left unopened until after the flooding had started. Emergency Operations were not activated. There was an attempt to shift the blame to the Met Office for not pointing out that all that rain would have fallen in such a short time.

Lessons Good general public awareness is not necessarily enough. We must make a greater effort to ensure that Disaster management and other officials are fully cognizant of the gravity of the threat. Must stress that even though winds are not expected to be damaging, other factors could be just as devastating. Must encourage public to prepare for the total effect of a hurricane.

A wet night’s work! Thank You!!