http://wwwghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/GOES/goes8conus.html

The Infra Red doesn't show the center. This one (the visible) clearly does, and it's smack bang over land west of Chetumal. There is no second eye.

No damage in San Pedro or points South from T.S. Chantal. Winds last night got up to about 35-40mph sustained, first from the NW, then East, then SE. A bit of beach erosion here or there, but no more than from a regular good blow in Spring. Rain, about 3-4 inches max, almost all drained away already. (Compare to May when we had a 3 day period of rain for a total of over 20 inches).
Weather as of 9:30am local, winds from the E at 10mph or less, overcast, not raining yet but perhaps a bit to come later.

Tropic Air and Maya Island Air will be flying again by lunchtime, ferries already starting to bring people back to the island.

Electricity and phone services normal, water supply is normal, roads a bit wet, but not unusually so.

Island services more or less normal now, most hotels will be open at the latest Wednesday, some are already open.

San Pedro/Ambergris Caye ready for your visit!



[This message has been edited by Marty (edited 08-21-2001).]

The main eye Chris is talking about is the second eye. The National
Hurricane Center chose it and backed up the storm's position early
this morning. The first one went on out with the leading edge of the
storm and dissipated.


What we've been calling "eyes" are local vortices forming over a cell
generated by the main eye's tug in the backwash. Given the
split-in-two, tug-of-war pattern Chantal has exhibited again and
again, that cell presented a danger of becoming dominant due to the
new "main" eye's being over land. But at last views, the western eye
still prevails, and the swirls the cell generates keep moving
northward and going ashore or dissipating.


It's pretty clear San Pedro Town south of the cut is out of it now,
'scusin' the odd sprinkle.


But farther north, where Joe is, is still involved. The cell is not
far from him.


But the cell is generating ever weaker and dissipating swirls, so I
expect it will play out as the new "main" eye moves almost due
westward.


The main dynamic of the storm will continue to drag water over at
least the North caye a while, and may get far enough south, as it
moves westward, to drag over clouds that will wet down San Pedro
again, too.

That's my call at this hour, anyway.


John