Tropical Storm Philippe: Flood warnings, advisories and school closures in the Caribbean

Tropical Storm Philippe is affecting the Caribbean to a large extent. Philippe has created extreme weather conditions due to which, many regions have been placed under a flood warning.

The Dutch Caribbean Island of St Maarten has also been put under a flood alert by the Meteorological Department of St Maarten. Likewise, Dominica has been placed under a flood alert as well. Both regions are experiencing incessant rainfall.

The Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services has upgraded Tropical Storm Philippe’s status from a watch to a warning.

Due to this, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Education has announced that schools will remain closed, considering current weather conditions and the likelihood that they will worsen before things calm down.

The Meteorological Department has stated that the chances of storm-force winds impacting the nation are now at 90 per cent for Barbuda and 70 per cent for Antigua. This has now made Philippe a matter of grave concern for Antigua and Barbuda.

The island’s public educational institutions are being used as shelters. They are currently being activated by NODS to be open to the public from 6:30 pm.

In St Maarten, a flood alert was issued and it was reported that the center of Tropical Storm Philippe was located 150 miles east southeast of the nation.

Citizens have been told to expect occasionally cloudy skies, scattered showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms. Certain regions have also been warned to be on the look out for rockslides caused due to the rain and the flooding.

The Meteorological Department has also warned that Philippe is likely to come as close as 90 miles northeast of St Maarten by Tuesday.

Dominica is feeling the pressure as well with Guadeloupe on red alert and Martinique on orange alert due to heavy rain and stormy conditions.

The Dominica Meteorological Service issued its flood warning at 6 pm on Monday. The nation will remain under the warning until Tuesday, October 3, at 6 pm, according to current reports. Depending on how conditions change, that order could be extended.

The Meteorological Department has also stated that the passage of Tropical Storm Philippe is causing cloudy to overcast skies, moderate to heavy showers and thunderstorms across Dominica. This is expected to persist for the 12-24 hours with changes in conditions expected to come.

An estimated 50 to 75 mm or 2 to 3 inches of rainfall has been recorded in certain northern, eastern and interior regions of the island, with in the span of the last few hours.

Additional 50 to 75mm or 2 to 3 inches is expected in the night which will carry through to the next day. This has raised concerns related to localized flash flooding.

Citizens in areas under the threat of landslides and flooding have been asked to exercise caution, and take appropriate measures to ensure their own safety and protect their property.

According to the authorities, Dominica might experience the following:

• Rivers, streams, gutters and ravines may overflow their banks and flood surrounding areas
• Landslides due to intense rainfall as well as rock falls from overhanging cliffs
• Ponding will occur on roadways and bridges
• Seas will become dangerous for sea-bathers and small-craft operators in gusty winds.

While the Meteorological Department is keeping close tabs on the situation, Guadeloupe was placed on Red Alert at 7 pm due to heavy rain and thunderstorms. The area is currently on Yellow Alert for submerging waves and strong winds.

The events are ongoing but are expected to settle down by Wednesday, October 3 at 5 pm.

Martinique has been placed on Orange Watch because of heavy rain, storms and submersion waves. According to the latest reports, rain-storm activity is expected to move closer to the territory.

Till tomorrow, Martinique is expected to experience episodes of sudden and very intense rain.

Water accumulation of 80 to 100 mm in less than 3 hours could happen and will be accompanied by thunderstorms. In the heaviest downpour, gusts can reach 70 to 80 km/h.

Tomorrow morning, the intensity of the downpour is expected to lessen. It has to be mentioned though that rain-storm activity is quite unpredictable at this juncture. The situation depends entirely on the actual trajectory of Philippe which is also liable to change with time.