Spring-Summer Sahara Haze Hangs Over the Islands

[Ondine]

For those concerned about upcoming trips, I was just there a few days ago, and thought it was just hazy out. I figured due to the relatively hot and humid weather, it was no different than the haze I see in the northeast during the heat of the summer. Breathing seemed normal for hot conditions, and was much better after drinking multiple bushwhackers!

[arenee]

We were on St. John late April last year. On our fourth night there my son (4 years old) was having a hard time breathing and was making wheezing sounds. Because he has had issues in the past in warm weather destinations we always travel with our nebulizer. We gave him a nebulizer treatment immediately but he wasn't much better. We flew to the Myrah Keating clinic at 300a. I have to tell you the doctors and nurses there were fabulous! One of them had even lived and worked as a nurse in St. Paul, MN where we are from. They were very calm and were able to use nebulizer treatments and steroids to eventually get my son back to normal breathing. They said they love treating kids and gave him the "special" treatment. The doctor attributed the problem with his breathing to the valcanic ash from Montserrat. She told us people who hadn't had an asthma attack in 20 years were having them then due to very little rain. I understand this was a year ago and obviously things are different now. But while we were there the air just looked lightly hazy to me. We didn't notice any dust on the car or outside chairs etc. This is very interesting to me. We are going down next April. I have already talked to sons pediatrician about being proactive in treating my son BEFORE we leave and while we are there to avoid another visit to the clinic.

[bayer40601]

We were on STJ for one day on April 11, 2008 and did not notice any haze that day at all. The day before we were with Capt John Brandi in and around Tortola/Jost and noticed both islands were very brown, compared to what we saw in July last year. Capt John told us there had been very little rain to that point.

Last year in July, there was a general haze in the area which the TV weather person attributed to Saharan dust. We could not even see St. Croix from our villa which faced St. Croix. Obviously, I am not there now and would have to rely on the experts, but since there was no haze on April 11 and at least the webcams had not indicated any for days before and after that date, I would have to think it is either coming from one of the events which would have flared up since that time, i.e. Montserrat, fires in South America or possibly the Sarahan dust, although based on what I have read before, it does seem to be a little early for Saharan dust.