SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Islanders set up emergency shelters and canceled flights on Sunday as newly born Hurricane Earl churned toward the northern Caribbean. Cruise lines diverted ships to avoid the storms path.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said that Earl, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph 120 kph, could hit the northern Leeward Islands as soon as Sunday night. It could become a major hurricane by Tuesday � probably while north of Puerto Rico.
People on several islands stuffed shopping carts with bottled water, canned food, milk, candles and batteries, while some tourists scrambled to board flights home. Others enjoyed the beach while they could.
"Im just trying get a good suntan in while the weather is still cooperating," said Linda Curren of New York City, sunbathing on San Juans Ocean Park beach as a few surfers paddled into pounding waves.
In Antigua, the V.C. Bird International Airport was set to close Sunday, while regional airline LIAT suspended several flights. Cruise ships diverted to other ports in the Caribbean and Mexico.
Hardware stores were doing a brisk business in plywood and boards as jittery residents and employees of gleaming tourist hotels prepared to safeguard windows and doors.
"We havent been hit for quite a few years, but you may never know � this might be the time," said Ashley Benta, from the Antiguan town of Grays Farm.
Fishermen and yacht owners tied down vessels in harbors scattered the northern Caribbean.
"Were watching and waiting at this point," said June Otway, a manager of Puerto Del Rey, a 1,100-slip marina in northeastern Puerto Rico.
Earl could bring battering waves and storm surge of up to three feet one meter above normal tide levels in some areas, according to forecasters. Heavy rains could cause flash floods and mudslides. Forecasters said Earl had several bands of thunderstorms wrapped around its center.
Early Sunday afternoon, Earl was about 190 miles 310 kilometers east of Antigua, where the storms outer bands were starting to bring rain. Hurricane force winds extended outward up to 30 miles 45 kilometers from its center.
Forecasters said there is a chance the hurricane could brush the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region toward the end of the week, with its closest approach to North Carolina on Thursday.
In any case, the U.S. East Coast is likely to see pounding surf from Earl.
Meanwhile, the Category 1 Hurricane Danielle was bringing dangerous rip currents to the U.S. East Coast. It was gradually weakening as it headed over the open Atlantic northeast of the British territory of Bermuda.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment