July 14, 2005 –– A stray feeder band from Tropical Storm Emily whipped through the Virgin Islands Wednesday night, dumping rain and stripping leaves from trees in some locations. It lasted about an hour.
"We had a band break off," Walter Snell, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in San Juan, said at 6:30 a.m. Thursday.
He said it was not unusual for bands of rain and wind to depart from the hurricane.
At Weather Station Zephyr in Coral Bay, St. John, the peak gust of 48 mph came at 8:30 p.m. A total of .15 inches of rain fell between 8:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The weather stations sits at about 700 feet. Snell said lower elevations experienced less wind.
Tropical Storm Emily reached hurricane status late Wednesday night.
Snell said the eye is expected to pass 318 miles south of the Virgin Islands at around 7 p.m. Thursday.
"You will get some showers," he said.
South-facing coasts should see seas of nine to 10 feet.
As of the 5 a.m. advisory, Hurricane Emily wind's stood at 90 mph with gusts to 115 mph. This makes the storm a strong Category 1. It is expected to reach Category 2 status by Friday.
Hurricane force winds extend out 30 miles, with tropical storm force winds reaching out 115 miles.
Hurricane Emily is centered at 12.3 degrees north latitude and 62.3 degrees west longitude.
St. Thomas sits at 18.3 degrees north latitude and 65 degrees west longitude. St. Croix is at 17.7 degrees north latitude and 64.8 degrees west longitude. St. John is at 18.2 degrees north latitude and 64.5 degrees west longitude.
Hurricane Emily is now located about 45 miles west-northwest of Grenada.
The storm, which held its westward track since it brewed up on Monday as a tropical depression, has now started its turn to the west-northwest and is moving in that direction at 18 mph.
The barometric pressure stands at 991 millibars or 29.25 inches.
As for waves to the east, Snell said there are two. He said it looks like they will merge.
"But they're not showing vigorous development at this time," he said.
Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
