Two summer tourists found a dying kitten one desperately-hot Emerald Beach afternoon. A moment of heartbreak, an act of charity, a lucky break — two flights and a long car ride later — and Emerald the cat is in a forever home in Oregon’s high desert.
If you threw a bullseye into Oregon, you’d come pretty near the town of Bend. It’s a long way for an eight-lives-left Caribbean beach cat.
In 2025, Pets With Wings helped fly 239 dogs and 236 cats to the mainland. Visitors or Virgin Islanders trekking back and forth brought a little puppy or kitty in a carrier under their seat or escorted them from a cargo area. At their destination airport, someone from a local shelter picked the animal up: a quick goodbye, and the soon-to-be-someone’s-best-friend was off.
Pets With Wings sends unhoused USVI pets to mainland forever homes. (Photo courtesy Pets With Wings)
“Each flight is $150 per pet,” said Annette T. Zachman, treasurer of the all-volunteer Pets With Wings. “That’s just for the flight. There are vaccines, health certificates, and other things that are needed for their safe transport.”
There’s no charge, of course, to escort a pet, nor does it pay. But the organization is always in need of support. An upcoming event in May hopes for generous five-figure donations but has options as low as $75, Zachman said.
“Every person has an opportunity to fly off with a pet,” she said. “Send us your information and we’ll do the footwork. We’ll meet you at the airport. We’ll do everything we can to help make this a smooth sailing.”
The Purzycki family flew these three to New Jersey. (Photo courtesy Pets With Wings)
Back to that cat in Bend: “I get a call from the president of Pets With Wings. She got a call from some tourists that were down staying at Emerald Beach, down by the airport, freaking out, crying. They found this little super dehydrated — they thought it was dying — little black kitty. And I was like, oh God, it’s six o’clock, but OK. I go down there, meet them. She’s crying. It’s their 20th anniversary” Zachman said. “And I’m like, OK. So she hands me this little sick kitty through the car window. They go on about their way. But she says, let’s keep in touch because if anything, I love this cat.”
Zachman agrees to keep in touch, takes the cat home and nurses it back to health. A nonprofit, Pets With Wings is all volunteers. Zachman’s day job is as a hairdresser.
“So there’s a lady getting her haircut who’s talking about moving back to Oregon. She goes, well, we’re leaving next week, Tuesday. I said, well, would you be interested in, you know, transporting this little kitty? And she goes, ‘Sure. Why not?’”
The health certificate Zachman filled required a name for the cat found at Emerald Beach.
“And I’m like, I don’t know. Emerald. That beautiful green eyes. Jet black kitty. So his name is Emerald. Alright. Cool. She goes, ‘Well’ — and I told her the story about the couple — she goes, ‘Well, what’s the stone for the twenty year anniversary?’ And I look it up on my phone. It’s Emerald.”
Emerald flew to Portland and then, in a car with her new people, on a winding highway through the deciduous Willamette and Columbia confluence up into the coniferous Cascades, and on to the vast expanses of the high desert.
Antilles School marked a defining moment in its 75th anniversary year on April 11 with its “Lights. Legacy. Action.” Gala, an evening that brought together alumni, families, faculty, and friends in a powerful show of community support.Student volunteers, pictured here with Head of School Shannon Harris, lined the blue carpet coming into the Marcie Marin center and pretended to be paparazzi. (Submitted photo)From the opening moments on the blue carpet to a sneak-peak of the school’s 75th Anniversary documentary, the night reflected what has sustained Antilles for generations: a shared belief in the power of education and a community willing to invest in it.“Tonight is more than an anniversary,” Head of School Shannon Harris shared. “It is a moment to honor the generations who have shaped this community — and to recommit ourselves to what it can become. Seventy-five years is an incredible milestone, but the story is far from finished. Your presence and your generosity will help write what comes next.”Alumni from across the years attended the sold-out event. (Submitted photo)That message came to life throughout the evening, as close to 400 guests gathered not only to celebrate the school’s past, but to actively support its future. Through strong participation across ticket sales, sponsorships, the silent auction, and direct giving, the Antilles community pushed the impact of the sold-out event well beyond expectations.Organizers credit that success to the depth of engagement across every level of the community — from sponsors and donors to volunteers and attendees who showed up with enthusiasm and purpose.“This was a full community effort,” said 75th Anniversary Campaign Coordinator Karen Nelson-Hughes, also the parent of two Antilles alumni. “The energy in the room made it clear — people believe in this school, and they’re invested in where it’s going.”Photo boards and slideshows, picturing students and special moments over the past seven decades, were a main attraction in the room. (Submitted photo)The gala also highlighted the school’s enduring mission, first shaped by founding Head Deborah Finch and carried forward through decades of leadership, including the expansion of access and financial aid under longtime Head Mark Marin. Today, that commitment continues, with a focus on ensuring Antilles remains accessible to families across the Virgin Islands while preparing students for college, careers, and life.As the evening closed, the message was clear: the milestone may be 75 years, but the momentum is forward. With record participation and a renewed sense of purpose, Antilles School now looks ahead — building on a legacy that continues to grow through the strength of its community.
The V.I. Police Department and V.I. Fire and Emergency Medical Services recovered a body from the water near the Christiansted boardwalk Monday morning. (Source photo by Jesse Daley)
The V.I. Police Department has identified the man whose body was found in the water off the Christiansted boardwalk Monday as Barnet Valerie. He was 55.
VIPD spokesperson Glen Dratte said people on the boardwalk contacted 911 on Monday morning after noticing a body submerged in the water. Police and V.I. Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel responded, and the body was recovered with help from a marine unit. Dratte said an autopsy to confirm the cause of death will be performed next week.
“Based on our assessment so far, we think it was a drowning,” Dratte told the Source Friday. “But … next week, we’ll be able to get a confirmation.”
A St. Croix man was sentenced to 24 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands.
Jahmar Frederick, 32, was sentenced Wednesday by visiting District Court Judge Timothy Savage. He will also serve three years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment.
According to court documents, on May 11, 2024, a Virgin Islands Police Department officer observed a Ford F-150 pickup truck without a license plate near Frontline Bar and Grill. The vehicle fled from the officer before losing control and sliding off the roadway.
Authorities said the driver, later identified as Frederick, pulled a ski mask over his face and fled on foot before falling and being apprehended. At the time of his arrest, Frederick was carrying a fanny pack containing a black Glock model 22 Gen4 .40 caliber firearm with a 30-round magazine loaded with 18 rounds of ammunition and one round chambered.
Frederick has prior convictions, including forgery and failure to report firearms obtained outside or brought into the Virgin Islands in 2018, and obtaining money by false pretenses in 2023.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Virgin Islands Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry prosecuted the case, according to the release.
Commissioner Jennifer Matarangas-King, Deputy Commissioner RoseAnne Farrington, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., and Joseph Boschulte, president and Chief Executive Officer of The West Indian Company Limited, meet with cruise industry partners during Seatrade Cruise Global 2026 in Miami Beach, Fla. (Photo courtesy Tourism Department)
The U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism Department met with major cruise line partners at Seatrade Cruise Global 2026 to discuss itineraries, port operations, and the cruise experience across the territory, the department announced in a press release.
Officials held meetings with senior leadership from Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Silversea Cruises, Virgin Voyages, Disney Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line. Discussions focused on planning and operations for St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John, according to the press release.
Targeted media meetings were also conducted with travel, lifestyle, and trade outlets to support ongoing coverage and maintain visibility across consumer and industry audiences. Conversations focused on the Territory’s cruise product, multi-island offering, and on-island experience, the press release stated.
U.S. Virgin Islands leadership in a meeting with cruise line partners during Seatrade Cruise Global 2026. (Photo courtesy Tourism Department)
“Seatrade is where we engage directly with our cruise partners on the decisions that shape itineraries and the overall cruise experience,” said Jennifer Matarangas-King, commissioner of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. “This week, we had focused conversations with our partners and reinforced the role the U.S. Virgin Islands continues to play within their planning.”
The territory’s presence highlighted its multi-island cruise product. St. Thomas serves as the primary gateway, offering access to Charlotte Amalie, retail, and excursions. St. John offers a nature-driven experience through Virgin Islands National Park. St. Croix offers a cultural and historical experience centered on Frederiksted and Christiansted, the release stated.
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., Commissioner Jennifer Matarangas-King, and Joseph Boschulte, president and Chief Executive Officer of The West Indian Company Limited, alongside a delegation of U.S. Virgin Islands tourism and cruise leadership, meet with cruise line executives during Seatrade Cruise Global 2026 in Miami Beach, Fla. (Photo courtesy Tourism Department)
The week began with a partnership event with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, highlighting ongoing collaboration between the territory and regional cruise stakeholders, according to the Tourism Department. On-site activations at the U.S. Virgin Islands booth included a curated cocktail program and a “Farm to Glass” experience featuring St. Croix-based mixologist KJ Richards. The booth also featured giveaways from the Tourism Department, the Virgin Islands Port Authority, and the Virgin Islands Lottery, the release stated.
For more information, visit www.visitusvi.com.
Ivan Felix Frazer, the beloved last-born son of Felix and Victoria Frazer, passed away on March 25, 2026, at the age of 49. Born on Sept. 20, 1976, in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, Ivan was the cherished partner of Martha Lopez and a treasured member of The Lopez Family.
Ivan Felix Frazer
A good friend to all, Ivan was always quick with a smile, friendly, and selflessly there for those who knew him. In his career, he found deep meaning in the work he did and the people he helped, treating everyone with dignity and respect—his colleagues cherished working alongside him. He was happy and full of life, and remained a big kid at heart, building remote control race cars, playing video games, and cheering on his favorite basketball teams. He also had an eclectic taste in music that reflected his playful spirit. He learned the construction trade from his dad and was affectionately known as “Builder Bob” by a special few. Exceptionally smart and knowledgeable about random facts—a true “Jeopardy!” fan—he brought his quick wit and signature sarcastic humor to every conversation. An avid runner, he returned excitedly to his place of birth after nearly 30 years away, only to pass away a few days after arrival. One of a kind, Ivan was loved by everyone whose lives he touched.
Ivan will be deeply missed. He is also survived by his siblings: Paula Ettienne, Sybil Roberts, Ira Frazer, Irvin Frazer, and Judy Frazer; his nieces and nephews—Natisha, Randy Jr., Shamika, Elijah, Tori, and Rozira; as well as his aunts and uncles—Josephine Christopher, Marcella Joseph, Noelina Ryner, Dorianna Williams, Williamson, and Albert Maronie; numerous grand-nieces, grand-nephews, cousins, and the extended family around the world.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, April 24, at 10:30 a.m. at Bethel Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Williams Delight.
All are welcome to attend and honor Ivan’s memory.
“I am innocent,” Brett “Mac” McClafferty said before entering Magistrate Court on St. Thomas for a hearing and arraignment on bank fraud charges in March. (Source file photo by Siân Cobb)
A confirmation hearing is set for Monday in Brett “Mac” McClafferty’s Chapter 13 bankruptcy proceeding in Delaware that the trustee says should be dismissed or converted to Chapter 7 because McClafferty has debts of $3.6 million that “significantly exceed” the statutory thresholds, he has “failed to provide a full and candid disclosure of his financial condition,” and may be shielding his assets and income from the trustees and creditors.
Meanwhile, the trustee in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition for McClafferty’s defunct Mac Private Equity company in the same Delaware court filed a status report last month claiming McClafferty “was not able to adequately answer questions of the Trustee, counsel or creditors” at a creditors’ meeting in October or in subsequent meetings. Trustee George L. Miller reported that as far as he can tell, “None of the records obtained to date demonstrate anything other than Mr. McClafferty using corporate funds for personal expenses.”
Additionally, 17 of his alleged victims — investors in Mac Private Equity who say their money vanished, including two who were awarded judgments in Virgin Islands court — have joined the call to have the Chapter 13 case converted to Chapter 7.
Common to all three filings are details of profligate spending they allege belie McClafferty’s claims of bankruptcy.
In a motion for an order to convert the Chapter 13 case to Chapter 7, attorney Michael Sheesley, representing the Mac Private Equity investors, cited as examples bar tabs exceeding $2,000 in Miami, subscriptions to OnlyFans totaling hundreds of dollars, multiple transactions at cigar lounges in Miami and St. Thomas, and Venmo transfers for “vacations” and ATM withdrawals.
“The Debtor’s expenditures, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars spent in the year pre-petition, occurred while the Debtor testified under oath in related litigation [in the Virgin Islands] that he had ‘no money, no assets, no income,’ and lived modestly (asking if he could ‘buy a cheeseburger’),” the motion states.
In reality, McClafferty was spending on his personal lifestyle, as summarized in Wells Fargo account statements that show he had deposits totaling $414,459.15 from November 2024 through September 2025, and expenditures of $410,822.40, according to the motion.
William F. Jaworski Jr., the Chapter 13 trustee, said in his motion to dismiss or convert the case to Chapter 7 that under the “‘totality of the circumstances’ test, the Debtor’s conduct, characterized by the failure to list all assets, concealment of income, the maintenance of a lavish lifestyle, and the funding of personal political ambitions while in bankruptcy falls far short of the ‘honest debtor’ standard. Such conduct warrants immediate dismissal.”
Sheesley alleges that the timing of McClafferty’s petition — the Chapter 7 petition was filed in March 2025 and the Chapter 13 in November — “shows that he filed this Case merely to avoid further collections processes in the Virgin Islands.”
McClafferty, 38, who is facing criminal bank fraud charges in the Virgin Islands, has a criminal history in Ohio, and recently launched a campaign for Virgin Islands senator, has denied wrongdoing and, as he is wont to do, took to social media Thursday to dispute news reports about his bankruptcy cases.
“We had no obligation to ‘invest’ anything lol. That’s the part you’re missing,” he posted on What’s Going on St. Thomas, referring to the Mac Private Equity case. “Not a single one of our lending agreements obligated us to ‘invest’ anything. MPE was a startup PE [Private Equity] firm operating on a burn rate. It collapsed before it could take off. It’s a shame — but that’s life on the Serengeti; you win some, ya lose some,” he said, concluding the post with a shrug emoji.
In an objection to the investors’ motion to convert the Chapter 13 case that he filed April 10, McClafferty said they “attempt to transform a disputed business relationship with a corporate entity into personal liability of the Debtor and, in doing so, rely on unproven allegations of fraud, selective characterizations of prior litigation, and assumptions regarding intent that are unsupported by a developed evidentiary record.”
While Sheesley refers to those investors as “the McClafferty Victims,” McClafferty prefers the term “Voluntary Lenders,” saying in his motion that he “did not personally guarantee MPE’s obligations, nor did he execute the relevant promissory notes in his individual capacity. No court has entered an order piercing the corporate veil of MPE or otherwise imposing personal liability on the Debtor for MPE’s debts.”
Due to “the combined effects of inflation, a struggling economy, and the costs associated with ongoing litigation, Mac Private Equity never achieved success and instead became insolvent,” according to McClafferty’s filing. In fact, he claims he is owed $460,000 by Mac Private Equity and $70,000 by Social Hospitality Group, the parent company of St. Thomas Social, the restaurant in Yacht Haven Grande he co-owns with business partner Sunil Sharma, according to court filings.
The Mac Private Equity investors, whose civil cases against McClafferty in the Virgin Islands are stayed during the bankruptcy proceedings, disagree with that assessment.
“The Debtor’s debts to his largest block of creditors (the McClafferty Victims) are for monies obtained by fraud or, in one case, intentional torts. The Debtor’s scheme was simple: give me money now, I’ll invest it and give you back more money later. There is no evidence anywhere that the Debtor or MacPE ever made a single investment with the McClafferty Victims funds,” the motion states.
“The Debtor has treated the McClafferty Victims and his other creditors atrociously before and during this Case. He has lied under oath, used the territorial and federal courts of the Virgin Islands — and now the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware — to play games, delay and hinder the McClafferty Victims’ recoveries. His outright disregard for his duties as a bankruptcy debtor can only be seen as willful and malicious,” it says.
“There is still much to do in this Case. Conversion to chapter 7 will enable the Debtor’s creditors, including the McClafferty Victims a single forum to achieve a global resolution,” it concludes.
A 1973 story in Martin Marietta’s company magazine Today featured a photo of what appears to be bauxite stored in a large, open-air pile. Former employees claim they were regularly exposed to the respiratory irritant. (Photo courtesy Today)
In July 2021, former St. Croix alumina refining plant employee Milton Burt sued his former employers, claiming Martin Marietta and associated companies failed to protect — or even warn — him of on-the-job exposure to dangerous lung irritants. A trial was set for July 2022. Half a decade of legal wrangling later, a jury may hear 80-year-old Burt’s case in 11 days.
Burt is far from the only or longest-waiting bauxite plaintiff. Some cases awaiting the courtroom go back to 2007.
A Virgin Islands Superior Court judge signed an order Thursday denying a bid by aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corporation to yet again delay the trial. After several previous delays, attorneys for Lockheed, modern owners of the St. Croix companies Burt worked for 26 years, had argued their expert witnesses were unavailable on the date they themselves had chosen for the trial.
Judge Alphonso Andrews Jr. denied their motion and broke down the chain of events in his explanation.
The case was filed July 15, 2021, with an initial trial date of July 13, 2022, which was then pushed back to Nov. 14 of that year, and then Dec. 21. Both attorneys for Burt and Lockheed had been preparing for the late December trial until Dec. 6, when Lockheed succeeded in a motion to dismiss the case. But that was partially overturned on appeal in November 2024. Lockheed asked for another summary judgment in October 2025, which was denied. In November 2025, the court denied their appeal of the decision.
Lockheed attorneys asked in February that the trial be moved to April 13, then asked that it be pushed back from April 27 to resolve technical legal issues like pending motions. After receiving permission to move the trial date, Lockheed’s attorney told the court March 4 that their expert witnesses would not be available April 27 and asked the judge to move the two-or three-week trial to an unspecified later date — maybe in October.
Attorneys for Burt cried foul, claiming Lockheed had failed to justify the delay.
Referring to Lockheed Martin Corporation as LMC, Judge Andrews sided with Burt.
“The court acknowledges that LMC is under no obligation to divulge specifics of its witnesses’ ‘professional commitments.’ However, simply asserting that such commitments conflict with the April 27th trial, and proclaiming their unavailability is insufficient for this court to adequately assess the existence of good cause,” he wrote. “Thus, one resolution to LMC’s witness unavailability issue is to have them testify between April 27th and May 4th.”
Andrews also suggested the witnesses could appear remotely or by some other arrangement.
Attorneys for Lockheed and Burt filed their proposed jury instructions with the court Wednesday
Burt worked maintenance at the St. Croix alumina refining plant for 26 years with little or no protection from bauxite dust, asbestos, and other lung irritants, according to his 2021 lawsuit. In 2019, his chronic breathing trouble was diagnosed as pneumoconiosis, sometimes called black lung, usually caused by exposure to intense dust.
Similar suits against Lockheed Martin — a company recently valued at more than $20 billion with stock selling as high as $692 a share — go back to at least 2007, alleging aluminum refining companies now under Lockheed ownership were negligent in protecting their employees. Many of the original claimants died awaiting trial.
Hundreds, possibly thousands, of civil suits remain open against former St. Croix refinery owners and related companies dating back to 1991, according to court records.
Even people who didn’t work with bauxite have complained or filed suit against the alumina plant that closed in January 2001. Before the company closed and long after, a mountain of red dust near the plant — a byproduct of the chemical processing of bauxite — plagued residents, blowing into their homes and infiltrating their drinking water.
The Economic Development Commission, Enterprise Zone Commission and Economic Development Bank held public hearings and decision meetings Thursday over the videoconferencing platform Zoom. (Screenshot from Zoom meeting)
The Economic Development Commission considered a request from a St. Croix hotel developer Thursday to alter its plans to build a hotel in Christiansted, which have been stymied by power and shipping delays and other issues.
The EDC granted Historic Heritage Holdings full tax benefits last summer to construct a boutique hotel with at least 66 rooms in Christiansted. Camila Devlin, the company’s chief financial officer, and majority owner Peter Zielke told Economic Development commissioners that the project’s timelines have shifted because of costly delays related to power, construction and permitting. On Thursday, they asked the commission to approve a phased approach to allow them to start with 25 hotel rooms and 10 full-time employees.
“Ultimately, this request is about feasibility and long-term success,” Devlin said. “The facts have changed, the timeline has shifted and the originally approved structure no longer aligns with the current realities of our project.”
Devlin said the phased approach would keep the company in compliance while it pays employee benefits and invests in the St. Croix community. Asked to more fully explain the delays, Zielke said he could think of few challenges they haven’t faced.
“Power is — some of the delays are incredibly long, like WAPA can take five or six months to hook up,” he said. “We’ve had some weather-related delays. We’ve had a great deal of shipping delays, where you’re missing a single part and then sometimes it could be a month or two until that part arrives.”
By way of example, Zielke said one part of the project was delayed for six weeks because a part for a diamond polisher got held up in shipping and at customs.
“So the truth is, there are very few things that we haven’t had significant delays on,” he said. “Sometimes we have people that need health care where, stateside, perhaps they could ordinarily just go to the doctor. And here, they end up having to take a couple weeks off and leave town and come back again.”
EDC board member Philip Payne lauded the company’s work so far and empathized with their struggles.
“We boast about how much better we are with permitting and services, and yet we get here and we hear ‘four months to turn on the power’ or five months,” he said. “It’s unrealistic, and it’s not right that we put up with this, and we continue to.”
Board members heard from another hotel developer during a subsequent public hearing of the Enterprise Zone Commission. Global Solutions VI discussed a long-sought 130-room, five-story hotel to be built on 10 acres directly across from the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix. The company’s founder and chair, Steven Boughner, said the project would include a rooftop restaurant — along with another on the ground floor — meeting areas and an event space.
“The concept of our development is not only a hotel to service the tourism business, but also to become a local event space,” he said. “There is no space comparable to what we’re proposing anywhere on the island, and we firmly believe that the concept of local involvement into the facility will generate the type of business that this development is designed to do.”
The company has a 40-year land lease with the V.I. Port Authority with a 10-year renewal option. Board members discussed a South Shore Trade Zone application from the company in executive session and later narrowly approved granting full benefits for 20 years.
The EZC also approved full tax incentives for Jabari Carrington for rehabilitation and construction at 7B Commandant Gade — part of the Garden Street-Upstreet Enterprise Zone — and modifications to a project at 12 Crystal Gade and 2E Bjerge Gade. Conn J. Davis II initially applied for incentives to operate a luxury event space and boutique bed-and-breakfast at the property. The approved modification changed the use to serve as a primary residence.
The Economic Development Bank approved Small State Business Credit Initiative guarantee requests for Antilles Consulting Group and SOS St. Croix.
An example of the National Hurricane Center’s updated operational forecast cone for the 2026 hurricane season, which will now show tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings for inland as well as coastal areas, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (Photo courtesy NOAA)NOAA’s National Hurricane Center recently shared updated forecast cone graphics for the 2026 hurricane season. The changes could help individuals better understand wind warnings, while reminding the public that hazards often extend well beyond the cone, including inland areas.
Changes to the NHC Forecast Cone NOAA announced the changes on March 24 as part of its 2026 hurricane season product updates.
“In 2026, the forecast cone will now include tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings for inland areas. The additional information follows a successful experimental phase last year, which demonstrated that the improved forecast cone enabled inland communities to better understand and prepare for the danger posed by tropical cyclone winds,” according to NOAA.
The report from NOAA explains that the new operational cone will now include all land-based tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings in effect for the continental United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The updated graphic will also use one shade for the full five-day cone and include a legend symbol for places where a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning are both in effect.
Hurricane Specialist’s Perspective
The Source contacted Daniel Brown, branch chief of the Hurricane Specialist Unit at the NHC in Miami, Florida, who explained the forecast product updates in further detail. For individuals in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, one of the practical changes may simply be having more clarity. People will be able to see the entirety of the islands covered in a watch or warning, not only the coastal regions.
NOAA’s updated operational forecast cone for 2026 is designed to give the public a clearer picture of where tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings are in effect, while reminding users that hazards can still occur outside the cone. (Photo courtesy NOAA)
“Although in the past it appeared that the island of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were completely covered when it was under a watch or warning, the original cone graphics only depicted the coastal areas under the tropical storm or hurricane watch or warning,” Brown said.
“The new operational cone graphic will completely shade all of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and coastal and inland areas in the United States when a watch or warning is in effect,” Brown continued.
“This should help residents who live in areas away from the coast to better understand that they are under a tropical storm or hurricane watch or warning and will enable inland communities to prepare for the danger posed by tropical cyclone winds,” he added.
The change to the cone this year follows an experimental phase in 2024 and 2025. In its 2026 products update, the NHC said feedback strongly supported adding inland watches and warnings, and social science research suggested the added information helps communicate wind risk without overcomplicating the graphic.
Brown said the improvements are also meant to correct one of the public’s most common misunderstandings about the cone.
“Users have often misinterpreted the cone as the area of potential impacts,” he acknowledged. “However, the cone does not provide any information on potential impacts from storm surge, wind, flooding, rainfall, or tornadoes. Instead, it depicts where the center of a tropical storm or hurricane could track. Adding inland watches and warnings takes the focus off the cone and forecast track and provides the public with risk-based information about the potential for tropical storm and hurricane-force winds through the watches and warnings.”
That message remains especially important in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where dangerous weather can affect the islands even when a storm’s center does not pass directly overhead. NOAA’s materials continue to emphasize that the cone shows the probable path of the storm center, not the size of the storm, and that hazardous conditions can occur outside the cone.
The NOAA update also said that the size of the cone will be a little smaller in 2026, about 4% to 8% smaller than in 2025, based on the latest five years of forecast errors.
A Separate Experimental Cone
In addition to the operational cone, which will be released this season, NOAA is also introducing a separate experimental cone graphic for 2026. Unlike the traditional cone, which is built around circles at each forecast point, the experimental version of the cone will use ellipses. NOAA said the new approach is meant to better capture uncertainty in both the speed and direction of a storm’s forecast path, and the experimental cone will include 90% of forecast track possibilities instead of the traditional 67% forecast error.
A new experimental forecast cone uses ellipses instead of circles to better reflect uncertainty in both the speed and direction of a storm’s projected path. NOAA says the new design is meant to show a broader range of likely track possibilities. (Photo courtesy NOAA)
“The experimental cone will use ellipses anchored at each NHC forecast point, allowing for the experimental cone to capture a range of possibilities for both the speed and direction of the tropical cyclone’s forecast path,” Brown stated. “Since the new experimental cone will include 90% of forecast track possibilities, the cone can now be described as the likely path of the storm, because the center is unlikely to move out of the cone.”
“The ellipses used to draw the experimental cone look at NHC’s historical track errors as how far left or right the forecast was from the verifying positions of the storm and how fast or slow the forecast of the storm was,” Brown explained.
Brown also reminded readers that both the operational cone and the experimental cone are not an all-in-one hazard map.
“The experimental cone should provide the public with a better understanding of the likely path of the storm, but they should also understand that neither the operational cone nor the experimental cone provides information about all possible hazards,” he cautioned.
Other Product Updates
While the cone changes may be one of the most helpful updates for Caribbean residents, NOAA’s 2026 package includes other updates as well. The NOAA press release announced new storm surge watches and warnings, a peak storm surge graphic, and a potential storm surge flooding map for Hawaii, expanding services already used for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Gulf, and the U.S. East Coast.
A new gray “X” on the Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook will indicate systems with near-zero chances of tropical development. (Photo courtesy NOAA)
The NHC’s update also highlights an Experimental Graphical Marine Wind Warning product that covers the Caribbean Sea and other tropical ocean basins. The update includes a rip current risk map introduced in 2025 that includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands when at least one tropical system is active. A change to the Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook will now show systems with near-zero development chances as a gray “X” instead of a yellow one.
Remain Prepared
Brown encouraged residents and visitors to heed the advice of the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in addition to monitoring NHC cone updates. While the cone is being updated to communicate wind warnings more clearly, it is still only one part of the forecast. People in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will still need to pay close attention to other official graphics, watches, warnings, and forecasts for hazards.
“The most common misconception is that the cone itself does not indicate potential impacts, although the cone graphic does communicate wind risk via watches and warnings,” stated Brown. “NHC and the local NWS office in San Juan provide other text and graphical products that provide information on other hazards associated with a tropical cyclone, such as storm surge, rainfall, and rip currents.”
“The best advice is to pay attention to watches and warnings for storm surge, wind, and rainfall hazards. Understand the risk posed by each of those hazards and have a hurricane plan to keep you and your family safe. Individuals can always find the latest forecast on the NHC’s official website,” Brown concluded.
Local Weather Information
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, but severe weather preparedness is a year-round practice in the Virgin Islands. Residents can see the local weather forecast for the U.S. Virgin Islands which is regularly updated on the Source Weather Page. Individuals can also find helpful weather information, emergency preparedness, and alerts from the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency.
