AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Talk Belize Weather Tropical Storms & Hurricanes Hurricane Richard

so when is it supposed to pass at its closest point to SP? I am on the lagoon side doesn't seem like much of anything back here, the last TS was stronger in terms of wind/more water

will run it just a second....
here's a facebook video
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150296160980151

Thanks for the updates. I have clients at Banana Beach right now but they seem to be well taken care of by the staff so far. Fingers crossed there is not too much damaage or injury on the islands and further south.

Results for 17.91667N, 87.95000W:
The approximate Closest Point of Approach (CPA) is located near 17.3N, 88.2W or about 43.3 miles (69.7 km) from your location. The estimated time of when the center of the storm will be at that location is in about 3 hours (Sunday, October 24 at 8:12PM CDT).(6:12pm Belize Time).

http://www.stormcarib.com/closest.cgi

We made some pictures around noon and put them on Facebook.
Here is a preview or click here for the Photo Album.



Jan van Noord
________________________
Portofino Restaurant & Beach Resort[/u]
North Ambergris Caye
New Website: [u]www.portofino.bz

Eyewall of Hurricane Richard at 2:50pm at it approaches Belize



The Hurricane Warning and Phase III of the NEMO Hurricane Preparedness Plan is still in effect for the coast of Belize.

Thanks Marty!! That's helpful so it looks like max winds will be in the SP area around dawn tomorrow based on the CPA report you posted

oops not dawn I mean around 1 AM (if it's in 10 hours)

Marty: check that again its more like a few hours... tonite....

HURRICANE RICHARD ADVISORY NUMBER 16
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL192010
400 PM CDT SUN OCT 24 2010

...RICHARD BECOMES A LITTLE STRONGER AS IT APPROACHES THE COAST OF
BELIZE...


SUMMARY OF 400 PM CDT...2100 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...17.2N 88.0W
ABOUT 25 MI...40 KM SSE OF BELIZE CITY
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...90 MPH...150 KM/HR
PRESENT MOVEMENT...WNW OR 285 DEGREES AT 13 MPH...20 KM/HR
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...981 MB...28.97 INCHES

THE GOVERNMENT OF HONDURAS HAS DISCONTINUED THE HURRICANE AND
TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS FOR HONDURAS.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* BELIZE

A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* EAST COAST OF YUCATAN MEXICO FROM PUNTA GRUESA TO CHETUMAL

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* EAST COAST OF YUCATAN MEXICO FROM PUNTA GRUESA TO CHETUMAL

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
------------------------------
AT 400 PM CDT...2100 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RICHARD WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.0 WEST. RICHARD IS
MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH...20 KM/HR...AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT WITH A DECREASE IN
FORWARD SPEED ON MONDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER WILL
CROSS THE COAST OF BELIZE IN A COUPLE OF HOURS AND MOVE OVER LAND
TONIGHT AND MONDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 90 MPH...150
KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RICHARD IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON
THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN
STRENGTH IS EXPECTED BEFORE LANDFALL...AND WEAKENING WILL BEGIN
AFTER THE CENTER CROSSES THE COAST.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES...30 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105
MILES...165 KM.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED FROM HURRICANE HUNTER
AIRCRAFT DATA IS 981 MB...28.97 INCHES.

RICHARD APPEARS TO HAVE INTENSIFIED A LITTLE OVER THE PAST FEW
HOURS. AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INVESTIGATING THE
HURRICANE REPORTED A PEAK 850 MB FLIGHT-LEVEL WIND OF 86 KT EXITING
THE EYE TO THE NORTHEAST AND THE HIGHEST UNFLAGGED SFMR WIND SPEED
WAS 69 KT. HOWEVER...THE SFMR INSTRUMENT HAS ISSUES MEASURING THE
SURFACE WINDS IN AREAS OF SHALLOW WATER SUCH AS IS THE CASE JUST
OFF THE COAST OF BELIZE. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED
FROM A DROPSONDE WAS 981 MB. BASED ON THE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER
CENTRAL PRESSURE AND THE INCREASED ORGANIZATION ON SATELLITE AND
BELIZE RADAR IMAGES...THE INTENSITY IS INCREASED TO 80 KT FOR THIS
ADVISORY. SINCE THE CENTER WILL BE CROSSING THE COASTLINE IN A
COUPLE OF HOURS...SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS NOW
UNLIKELY PRIOR TO LANDFALL. STEADY WEAKENING WILL COMMENCE AFTER
THE CENTER MOVES INLAND THIS EVENING. THE CYCLONE IS LIKELY TO
EMERGE INTO THE EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO IN A
CONSIDERABLY WEAKENED STATE IN 36 TO 48 HOURS...AND STRONG
SOUTH-SOUTHWESTERLY SHEAR SHOULD PREVENT RE-INTENSIFICATION.

RICHARD HAS BEEN MOVING AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED...OR
ABOUT 285/11. A WEAKENING MID-LEVEL RIDGE TO THE NORTH OF THE
TROPICAL CYCLONE WILL CAUSE SOME SLOWING OF THE FORWARD MOTION OVER
THE NEXT 36 HOURS OR SO. THE TRACK GUIDANCE HAS BECOME MORE
DIVERGENT AFTER A DAY OR SO...REFLECTING AN INCREASED UNCERTAINTY
IN THE STEERING CURRENTS. HOWEVER...SINCE RICHARD IS EXPECTED TO
BE REDUCED TO A WEAK CYCLONE BY 48 HOURS...IT SHOULD THEN BE
STEERED BY THE LOWER-TROPOSPHERIC SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW OVER THE
SOUTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO. THE OFFICIAL TRACK FORECAST IS NOT MUCH
DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS ONE AND ROUGHLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
GUIDANCE SUITE.



Belize Tourism Board Announces Relocation and Evacuation Plans for Hurricane Richard

Belize City, Belize - October 24, 2010 - In light of Hurricane Richard, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) has announced evacuation and relocation plans for all in-country travelers, and travelers visiting Belize in the coming days. According to the Belize National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), the center of Hurricane Richard is expected to cross Belize this evening as a category 1 hurricane; as of 12:00 p.m. MST, the center of the storm was located 55 miles southeast of Belize City, moving toward the northwest at 13 miles per hour. Maximum sustained winds remain near 85 miles per hour with higher gusts.

In response to the impending hurricane, all hotels in the Toledo District - located in the southern region of Belize, and coastal communities have been evacuated, and all residents and travelers have been relocated to safe grounds. People being evacuated have been sent to shelters in northern Belize. For those choosing to not evacuate, area shelters have been set up by NEMO along the coast starting from the areas of Golden Stream, Deep River area in Toledo, and the Stann Creek District, where Richard is expected to make landfall this evening. For a complete listing of all emergency shelters or for more information on Tropical Storm Richard, please visit NEMO athttp://www.nemo.org.bz or call the emergency line at (501) 822-0153.

NEMO has confirmed that as of 10:00 a.m. MST, all public in-country transport operations have been ceased, except for transit buses that will complete their runs to the north at 2:00 p.m. MST. Additionally, all airline flights have been grounded and the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (PGIA) is closed for the day.

For those concerned about friends or family in-country, or for those expected to travel to Belize in the coming days, you are advised to visit BTB's emergency online site for weather updates and information. This website can be accessed atwww.belizeemergency.net. Travelers should also check with their airline carrier for on whether or not to reschedule travel dates.