Update: It is officially Hurricane Omar that will be hitting Puerto Rico on Wednesday.
Update 2: Omar moves to the right and misses Puerto Rico. All hazards averted!
It was just a few weeks ago that I reflected here on the "big trouble" Puerto Rico would have when we get a direct hit from a hurricane. Unfortunately for us all, I guess Tropical Storm Omar, or Hurricane Omar (if it makes the upgrade) is going to give me some further insights.
A tropical storm, hurricane, and Flash flooding warning is in effect for Puerto Rico right now. A tropical Depression turned in Tropical Storm Omar, and now it seems the Pinocchio state of Puerto Rico might be in a little bit of trouble.
if something like a Tropical depression and heavy rainfall can wash out many Puerto Rican neighborhoods, we’re going to be in big trouble when one of those hurricanes that always pass by waving “Hello”, decide to finally make landfall.
Updates on Hurricane Omar for Puerto Rico
Video Above: Footage of Hurricane Omar slamming the shoreline in Netherlands Antilles.
So we are going to have a wet week, with a lot of rain, and a lot of heavy wind. The biggest issue may turn out to be flooding. Just a few weeks ago we got sloshed with rain, resulting in mucho flooding all over Puerto Rico. Right now the ground is still quite filled up with water. So with sustained rains this week, we could be in for an ever bigger mess than last month:
DUE TO ALREADY SATURATED SOILS ACROSS MUCH OF THE LOCAL AREA...ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WOULD LIKELY RESULT IN AREAS OF RAPID RIVER RISES AND FLASH AND RIVER FLOODING...ALONG WITH MUDSLIDES AND DEBRIS FLOW.
So anyone who experienced flooding in September MUST expect and be prepared for a repeat of those same or similar flood conditions. We know that the Jenius already has his strategy in place for this time around. Let's hope that the caretaker at the Santuario Animales de San Francisco de Asis, who risked drowning in chest deep water... while trying to save animals from meeting the same fate last time, has all the supplies needed to get through the week. FYI - I'm told the place becomes completely inaccessible by vehicle when it floods. Let's hope they have enough food on stock to get by without 100 animals starving to death.
Regarding rainfall and flooding: We are being told to expect 10 to 20 inches of accumulated rain fall through the end of the week. So expect a foot of water to fall at minimum.
Make sure you remember to get some supplies just in case, particularly for those of you at risk in known flood zones who plan to stick it out. This supply kit is recommended by the National Hurricane Center.
Don't rely on luck. Get prepared. Check in on your neighbors to make sure they are ok too.
You can follow its path via CNN's Hurricane Omar Tracker.
The Insider
