I have to admit that we were rather disappointed when Hurricane Danny dissipated and left our little island with nothing but a bit of rain (which for us Phoenix folks still seemed pretty exciting). Despite the summer time being rainy season, Sint Maarten/Saint Marten is in drought, as is much of the Caribbean. According to rumor, Puerto Rico has been rationing water for quite some time now. Besides, I’ve never been in a hurricane, and it sounded kind of exciting. And a category one didn’t seem like it would be too scary.

After Danny blew over (literally), we began to hear about Tropical Storm Erika. I assume many of you may have heard of Erika after the disastrous events of this week. To begin, let me assure you that here on Sint Maarten, we are OK. We were hardly touched by the storm. The worst damage, as far as I could tell, was to the sandy contours of our beach and to the palm trees, which lost a few coconuts. We pretty much just stayed inside during the afternoon and evening and let the rain pass.

Many people weren’t so lucky. According to CNN and other news media, the island of Dominica is recovering from a tragic encounter with Erika. Many people lost their homes and a few lost their lives or their loved ones. Please keep these families in prayer.

Erika is now headed to Cuba where it is expected to either dissipate or become a full-blown hurricane. Friends in Cuba and Florida, please stay safe! Our prayers are with you.

National Weather Service Hurricane Center on Erika

PS– If you have stories or photos of Erika, please share in the comments!