Aug. 16, 2001 – The potential for significant wind and shower activity associated with Tropical Storm Chantal across the Virgin Islands was greatly minimized Thursday night when the National Hurricane Center downgraded the weather system to tropical wave.
Forecasters said the effects of the still rapidly westward-moving system were expected to remain out over open water in the Caribbean Sea.
"All watches and warnings were discontinued at 8 p.m. on Thursday for the islands of the Lesser Antilles, except for a storm watch for Martinique and Guadeloupe, which will be discontinued on Friday," hurricane forecaster Richard Pasch said.
Pasch, based at the National Hurricane Center in Florida, said reports from an Air Force reconnaissance hurricane hunter plane indicated that Chantal no longer had a center of circulation. At 8 p.m., the system's dissipating center was estimated at about 13 degrees north latitude and 61 degrees west longitude, near the island of St. Vincent.
The remnants of the storm were continuing to move westward at nearly 29 miles per hour, with the rapid westerly motion expected to continue through Friday. The weather system continued to pack sustained winds of 40 mph and squalls.
Early in the day Thursday, hurricane forecasters and independent meteorologists had projected Chantal to pass about 150 miles south of St. Croix and bring showers and gusty winds to portions of the local region. At 8 p.m., the National Hurricane Center discontinued advisories on the storm.
