Yesterday’s wet and windy weather may not have made it to tropical storm status but it was enough to cause minor damage while dumping almost two inches of welcome rain on the nation.
Damage to the electricity network – including a downed pole at Cades Bay which blocked the coastal road – saw 60 percent of residents lose power.
Many communities suffered outages from the early hours of Wednesday morning with some still in darkness up to press time last night. APUA’s corporate communications officer Anazette Reynolds told Observer crews had been working feverishly to restore service.
Minor tree damage was widely seen across Antigua, along with several incidents of localised flooding, including to major highways causing hazardous conditions for motorists.
None of the 60-plus hurricane shelters was used, disaster officials confirmed.
Residents in Antigua and Barbuda can expect continued rainfall today, meteorologist Dale Destin told Observer. But he warned it was unlikely to lift the country out of its prolonged drought which has hampered crops and caused misery for householders as taps run dry.
(Photos by Observer media)