I'm okay- island is not.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

My house made it. My family is safe. Hospital lost roof- airlifting patients. Absolutely devastating- destroyed our infrastructure. I could barely make it 3 blocks on foot due to all the downed poles and debris. No comminication until just now. All we knew was Jose right behind it. No word on forecast path until just now finally able to pull up NHC and it's a direct hit for SXM and ANG. I cannot tell you in words how bad that will be. I saw videos during the storm of Barbuda and St. Maarten shared by friends there and it was very bad. Another right behind- I cannot imagine. I have many friends there and in Turks where I hear it is hitting now. Turks will not do well because they are so low. My friends in Tortola are OK. Nanny Cay destroyed. Moorings boats piled on top of each other. Ivan's is gone. No word on Ivan himself but I would have heard by now so assuming he is ok. (For my sailing friends on the forum) No word on Foxy and Soggy Dollar but assuming the same as Ivan's. St John ferries washed ashore. Cruz Bay images coming in look not too bad- getting word on Coral Bay that they cleared the ball field to land choppers. St John hit very hard on NW. My friend on St. John lost her second story. Also my neighbor lost their second story.

Please pray for us and other islands. We can't take another hit. My house was vibrating, shutters were cracking, doors flexing in and that was doors that had hurricane panels on them. My floor at one point started to vibrate like a trampoline that someone was shaking. My hurricane panels have dents in them. We took 150mph winds. Water spraying through the seam where the shutters close like a pressure hose, and I had plugged every gap with shrink wrap up and jammed in the cracks like caulking- which worked quite well except two shutters that leaked a good bit. In the end only a tiny leak in the roof. 180 year old home and still has the original rafters. These guys knew how to build. Stone walls with timber framed floors. Roof flares out at the edges for aerodynamics. Seriously- the Danish knew what they were doing in the 1800's.

The navy sent a vessel and navy helicopters airlifting people. USCG chopper as well. Our ER is raining inside the hospital. Top two of 4 floors destroyed. Bottom two makeshift around the flooding.

I will not be replying to keep internet free for storm tracking. On topic: Milwaukee M18 drill/driver is amazing. Boarded up my house and neighbor's, kept me through the storm fixing shutters, built a gate after the storm- all in one battery!!! I also have high praises for the M12 big square LED light- that thing went all night and day (house boarded up/no light) on one battery. The M18 job site radio kept us in touch but you have to turn on the radio to charge the phone- major flaw there. Also when plugged in it does not charge the battery. Come on, Milwaukee. Other than that- Milwaukee kept us safe through the storm.

[Arthur Fleming]

Glad you and your family are alright, thoughts and prayers for you all, hope the rest of the storms decide to head out to the middle of the Atlantic.

[Frederick Skelly]

Very glad you are ok Malcolm!
Fred

[daryl moses]

You were in our thoughts and prayers Malcolm, and we will continue.
Glad you are physically ok.

[Ole Anderson]

We were on a cruise last week with ports in St. Thomas and Tortola. What a difference a week makes, wow. Praying for you guys.

[Chris Parks]

I simply cannot imagine the fear something like this must generate, traumatic would not describe it I imagine. Stay safe or as safe as you can.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Thanks for the update Malcolm! Thoughts and prayers sent!

[Bill McNiel]

Malcolm,
So very pleased to hear you and yours are safe. I was actually worried that some wierd part of you would drag you out to see how big the swells really were. Continued thoughts for your safe passage through Jose and the recovery process which will undoubtedly be arduous.
Thanks for the update-Bill

[michael langman]

I was so glad to see your post. Continued thoughts and prayers.
Try to stay safe Malcom.

[Bruce Page]

Great to hear that you & yours made it through the storm! Praying that Jose & Katia veer north!

[Lee Schierer]

Glad you are okay, we've visited your island and can't imagine what it looks like now. Hopefully Jose will go somewhere else.

[Christopher Charles]

Thanks for taking the time to post an update here and relieved you and yours are safe. Best to you and all in the recovery.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for checking in, Malcolm. I wish you a smooth recovery and hope that José stays far enough away from you to avoid a lot more damage.

[Edwin Santos]

It's incredibly thoughtful of you to check in here and provide a status update considering the circumstances you are in. What a story! Hoping the recovery and rebuild process is the best it can be Malcolm,

[Sam Murdoch]

I wish you safe passage through all that seems yet to come. Glad you are well. I have to agree with the M18 drill and impact drivers - amazingly dependable and hard workers. Hopefully you can give them a rest.

Take care!

[Jim Koepke]

My hopes and prayers are with you and all the people in the path of the weather and fires here in the west.

jtk

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Glad you are currently safe.

My thoughts and prayers for those in the paths of these storms.

[Jason Roehl]

I have a friend whose wife was attending medical school in Sint Maarten. They happened to be in the States for a couple weeks, and were supposed to head back Monday. They (wisely) decided not to go. From what they heard, there is nothing for them to go back to, including the school (there may be some buildings left, but it won't be in operation). So they're down to a suitcase for each of them and their two daughters as their possessions in the world, but they have the right perspective on that...

[James Waldron]

Jeeze, you're greedy, Malcolm, double dipping with your second hurricane while here in FL we haven't had our first yet.

Actually, relieved to see you're probably going to get a graze from Jose that looks like it may not be too hefty. Hope so. Stay battened down, stay safe, maybe even stay dry.

Up here, we're all battened down and waiting on tip-toe. Cuba getting hammered as I write. Catalog of horribles for FL west coast storm surge is the latest word; may not be quite as extreme on the east coast of the peninsula - I hope. We've just started getting rain in the last hour but no wind of any note yet, just a stiff breeze as each band passes through.

SWMBO has sneaked off for lunch with girl friends. They had trouble finding a place still open. Irma is not invited. After that, we'll be shut-ins for the duration, probably sometime Monday.

Finally got a report on friends in Tortola. The Island is a mess. Reports are that the facilities at Nanny Cay are completely destroyed and most of the boats are gone or stacked like firewood. Those who live aboard are all safe - go to high ground safety before the storm, but their homes and possessions are gone. Still no clear word of our friends in St. Maartin. That's even more of a mess, by all reports so far.

[Frederick Skelly]

Jeeze, you're a greedy SOB, Malcolm, double dipping with your second hurricane while here in FL we haven't had our first yet.

Actually, relieved to see you're probably going to get a graze from Jose that looks like it may not be too hefty. Hope so. Stay battened down, stay safe, maybe even stay dry.

Up here, we're all battened down and waiting on tip-toe. Cuba getting hammered as I write. Catalog of horribles for FL west coast storm surge is the latest word; may not be quite as extreme on the east coast of the peninsula - I hope. We've just started getting rain in the last hour but no wind of any note yet, just a stiff breeze as each band passes through.

SWMBO has sneaked off for lunch with girl friends. They had trouble finding a place still open. Irma is not invited. After that, we'll be shut-ins for the duration, probably sometime Monday.

Finally got a report on friends in Tortola. The Island is a mess. Reports are that the facilities at Nanny Cay are completely destroyed and most of the boats are gone or stacked like firewood. Those who live aboard are all safe - go to high ground safety before the storm, but their homes and possessions are gone. Still no clear word of our friends in St. Maartin. That's even more of a mess, by all reports so far.

Jim,
I hope that you and all our friends in Florida and The Islands get through these storms with OK outcomes. Stay safe. Be careful. Keep us posted if you can.

Good luck friends!
Fred

[Paul McGaha]

I'm glad to hear that you and your family are ok so far Malcolm.

Hope Jose isn't too bad.

Maybe Irma is far enough West now to not hit Florida as bad as they were predicting the last few days. Also seems to have weakened some over Cuba.

PHM

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

Malcolm, nice to hear that the old Danish craftmanship held up :) but it's terrible news about the state of the islands. Will there be declared Marshall law ?

[Jeff Bartley]

Glad to hear you and yours are safe Malcolm! I hope Jose has other plans than Irma.
And at some point when life is back to normal for you I'd love to see a pic of your roof that survived the wind. It should be an example for those rebuilding!

[Mike Schnorr]

Malcolm,

Continued prayers for you and the island as it looks like Maria is going to come even closer than Irma! Keep your head down my friend!

Mike

[Larry Edgerton]

Malcolm, if you get a chance let us know how you are doing.

Larry