Caribbean convection & Labor Day Hurricane. History of the Bonus Army & the Vets washed out to Sea..

From BobbiStorm From Hurricane Harbor

Friday, August 29, 2014

In the Gulf of Mexico there is a large area of convection that has been lingering around a bit too long for comfort and needs to be monitored… just in case.

Going wider we can see it in the Caribbean and the whole area that is convecting…

Seems to be moving fast…towards very warm water.

The reason I’m paying attention to this little wave in the Caribbean that has the remnants of Invest 97L in it that has been following the more southerly model paths as it … didn’t develop so it went WEST. As we all know or should know a weak wave that doesn’t develop moves west into the Caribbean vs taking the path towards San Juan and the beautiful Virgin Islands. And, IF something develops in the Caribbean it has to hit land to get out of the Caribbean. Either it continues west towards Central America. If it strengthens the atmospheric currents in place will life it NW across the Yucatan into the GOM or BOC.

Currently the NHC is monitoring it in a long term fashion. A sort of wait and see what will be over the next few days.

* Formation chance through 5 days…medium…30 percent.

Okay…that’s something to watch. Mind you we have watched this area before.

Earlier in the week Invest 97L was being watched and models were run.

Right now it’s just “disturbed weather” and it could get more disturbed down the road. It could even become a Tropical Depression or Tropical Storm if the conditions improve.

A lot of IFS but its important to stay informed of changing conditions.

Why you ask?

Because back in 1935 we did not have weather apps or a weather radio or weather sites online.

There was a weak storm moving west towards South Florida and no one was aware of it. Labor Day was coming and people were out and about going on picnics and spending time with family. In the Florida Keys there were Veterans working in “work camps” not much better than what most Boy scouts look forward to for a nite… but for weeks, months and they would take their checks and send them home at the height of the depression. There’s a long history behind this drama.

Cliff Notes … many vets wanted to take money from their benefits to feel their families during one of the worst depressions in History. They camped out on the lawn in DC and it became an embarrassment for the President and was covered by the press…ongoing… Vets who had risked their lives in World War 1 who wanted help from the government…they wanted jobs. So they were given jobs… hard jobs in harsh places like the Florida Keys in the summer without air conditioning. Sand flies, bugs, thunderstorms…heat stroke. Because they had already had a hurricane while building the Overseas Railroad early on they were well aware of the dangers of a hurricane and having to evacuate people from the work camps down in the Florida Keys. A plan was said to have been made and if anything happened they would send a relief train.

Cliff Notes Ending… when it rains it pours and worst case scenarios pile up.

It was Labor Day. Government officials were on vacation thus slowing down the plan from going into action. The Hurricane developed fast Andrew style from a weak storm and no model saw it coming. There was no argument between the EURO and the GFS and not even the Canadian or Aviation model were around… in fact there were no computers. Maybe a few Seminoles knew something was up from signs that were handed down generation to generation.

And… when they finally sent the train the bridge got stuck and it delayed the train at least 30 minutes, probably close to an hour or more according to Miami Historian Paul George. By the time the train got there it was too little…too late… and the train and what was left of the work camps was swept out to sea along with the families who lived in the Keys.

Sort of ironic isn’t it that the hurricane’s track looks a little like the train that left the tracks.

The ONLY silver lining here was that because it was Labor Day a lot of the workers took off and went into Miami to visit friends… have fun and get a break from their hard work. The many who stayed behind were the fathers who sent home money to their families… the sons and brothers who didn’t spend the paycheck for a trip up into Miami for Labor Day.

Some good links:

http://hnn.us/article/16158

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1935-hurricane,0,5269672.story

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2010/08/who-murdered-vets.html

In 1935 there was no orange graphic from the NHC giving a five day warning for areas that might develop into a hurricane with Las Vegas like odds. And, they do a great job!

Back then we had a train that went to sea… and when you were on board and you looked down all you could see was the sea. I’ve had old conchs tell me how exciting it was to take a trip on that train to Miami when they were 5 and 6 or 7.

Note that in 1905 there were environmentalists in South Florida who didn’t like the environment being messed with…. and one of the best said that if you damned up Florida Bay with the long railroad tressels that it would create a damning effect and create a tidal wave during a storm surge. And, that is what happened. Yes it was a storm surge, but a storm surge made worse by the set up that had already killed people during the building of the railroad in 1905.

You can read a long blog post from the past that talks on this further.

If you think there were conspiracies after JFK was shot ..it was nothing compared to what went on after the 1935 Hurricane. Many said that by the weather bureau saying it was a Category 5 it was a fake way of absolving the government from any responsibility for the vets as it was now an “Act of God”

However…the NHC has gone over that storm many times and they do feel it was a Category 5 Hurricane and they do have the final word.

http://hurricaneharbor.blogspot.com/2012/09/1935-labor-day-hurricane-facts-myths.html

The part here that is important to remember is without satellite imagery, without the computer models, without the forecasters at the NHC interpreting the data… weather forecasters were blind sided often by hurricanes that go through Rapid Intensification and suddenly appear off shore as a Major Hurricane.

We had great maps, but the warnings came to late for the men out in the work camps on small islands connected by railroad trestles, road beds and bridges.

Weather blows up fast.

Computer models are sometimes wrong…

… like the wave that they liked… and then they didn’t like by Africa…

Andrew blew up fast.

So… never ever count out weather for the potential to surprise us especially about Labor Day.

Go to the beach……………..

Have a picnic………………..

Spend some money and help the economy.

Make memories… good ones…

And, keep checking in to see what’s going on in the tropics…

Besos Bobbi

If you are in FL… South Florida…

Take a trip down the overseas highway…

Mile Marker 82

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yfdZTfTcGM

And check out the Pro Bass Shops where there is a replica of the Pilar similar to the Hemingway’s boat he took up the Keys after the storm passed in Key West to be one of the first reporters to see the devastation from the Labor Day Hurricane.

For more on this story and video go to: http://hurricaneharbor.blogspot.com/2014/08/caribbean-convection-labor-day.html

JW Marriott opens first hotel in the Caribbean

From Lodging Magazine

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic—Marriott International Inc. continues to grow its JW Marriott hotel brand with the opening of the 150-room JW Marriott Santo Domingo.

The hotel is located in the upscale Piantini financial district and located inside the Blue Mall, which features several fine dining restaurants and high end shops such as Cartier, Carolina Herrera, and Louis Vuitton.

“Santo Domingo remains one of the most vibrant countries for new development in the Caribbean,” said Craig S. Smith, president of the Caribbean and Latin America at Marriott International. “We are thrilled to have partnered with Mr. Velutini on this project, and reveal our first world class JW Marriott luxury brand hotel to the Caribbean. This beautiful hotel brings the highest levels of accommodations and service to the Dominican Republic and is a great addition to the brand’s growing global portfolio.”

“The opening of this high luxury, sophisticated hotel marks an important milestone in the Dominican Republic’s tourism industry,” said Luis Emilio Velutini, president of FVI-Fondo de Valores Inmobiliarios S.A.C.A. “With the thriving economy in the country and the success of the high-end Blue Mall complex, we are confident that this unique and visually stunning hotel will become a landmark in Santo Domingo attracting travelers and groups from all over the world”.

The VERTYGO 101 lounge, the Dominican Republic’s first “floating” restaurant and bar, features a glass floor terrace rising 101 feet above the bustling city street below and offers a full menu of crafted cocktails and innovative food items.

Along with VERTYGO 101, the JW Marriott Santo Domingo also houses the Winston Grill & Patio, a sophisticated fine dining restaurant overseen by Chef Sergio Delfino that features Latin-American specialties with an Asian influence as well as an extensive international wine and cocktail menu.

The 150 rooms and suites will all include high-speed wireless internet, LCD TVs, Apple TV, embedded TVs in the bathroom mirrors, alarm clocks with iPhone 5 and iPad docking station, Nespresso coffee machine, and JW Marriott brand Aromatherapy bathroom amenities.

“Each JW Marriott delivers a warm, authentic, relaxed, and elegant environment that is unique to the luxury segment, and we are thrilled to open our doors for business and receive guests to experience this incredible new hotel” said Nigel Cook, general manager of the JW Marriott Santo Domingo.

The hotel also offers nine event spaces, totaling over 2,938 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, including the 1,158-square-foot ballroom.

For more on this story go to: http://www.lodgingmagazine.com/jw-marriott-opens-first-hotel-in-the-caribbean/