Puerto Rico Prepares For Category 4 Hurricane Irma

Updated at 11:20 p.m. ET

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The governors of Florida and Puerto Rico have declared pre-emptive states of emergency ahead of Hurricane Irma, a powerful Category 4 storm churning through the Caribbean on a westward track. The U.S. Virgin Islands also declared a state of emergency.

Forecasters say the dangerous storm also looks increasingly likely to hit the U.S. East Coast, either in South Florida or the Carolinas.

"We have established protocols for the safety of all," Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said, urging islanders to take precautions.

Rossello said 4 to 8 inches of rain were expected, with wind gusts up to 60 mph.

A few hours later, Florida Gov. Rick Scott issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in all 67 counties in the state.

Scott, in a statement, said the hurricane is a "life-threatening storm and Florida must be prepared."

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"Today, given these forecasts and the intensity of this storm, I have declared a state of emergency for every county in Florida to make certain that state, federal and local governments are able to work together and make sure resources are dispersed to local communities as we get prepared for this storm," Scott said.

Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami's Rosenthiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, writes in a blog post that the latest tracks for Irma are "bad news for a lot of places from the Leeward islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas, and then the U.S."

Although it's still too early to say whether Irma would make landfall on the mainland U.S., McNoldy cites long-range forecasts showing possible landfalls on the border between the Carolinas, or alternately near Miami.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami has issued a hurricane watch for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and a hurricane warning for the Leeward Islands north of Guadeloupe, including Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Martin/St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Barthelemy. A watch was also in effect for Guadeloupe as well as Vieques and Culebra.

The current forecast track has the storm passing closest to St. Martin and Anguilla, where it is expected to hit with 100 mph winds and heavy rain on Tuesday before moving westward toward Puerto Rico on Wednesday.

The Associated Press writes that: "Antigua's prime minister, Gaston Browne, urged people to take preventative measures in case the storm should keep on its current arc, saying that should include cleaning drains and removing objects that could be sent flying by high winds. Workers began pruning trees and shrubs to reduce chances for branches to tear down power and phone lines.

"The passage of a hurricane is not a matter to be taken lightly, but we must not panic," Browne said in a statement.

In the Dominican Republic, Public Works Minister Gonzalo Castillo was quoted by the AP as saying workers were clearing away road works and blocked sewer drains in preparation for the storm.

Earlier, some models had the storm re-curving away from the U.S. coast, but McNoldy writes: "At this point, Florida is definitely at risk from at least a close encounter if not a direct landfall from a major hurricane. The southeast U.S. coast is also still at an elevated risk of significant impacts." </s> Miami, Sep 5 (IANS) Hurricane Irma intensified into a Category 5 hurricane on Tuesday as it headed toward the Lesser Antilles, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Irma is “an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane” and “preparations should be rushed to completion in the hurricane warning area”, the NHC said in its 1200 GMT advisory.

The storm, which has maximum sustained winds of 280 kmph, is about 440 km east of Antigua and 445 km east-southeast of Barbuda, Efe news agency reported.

Irma is moving west at 22 kmph, the NHC said.

A hurricane warning has been issued for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy, the British Virgin Islands, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Vieques and Culebra islands.

A hurricane watch is in effect for Guadeloupe and the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engaño to the northern border with Haiti.

Dominica is under a tropical storm warning, as is the Dominican Republic from south of Cabo Engaño to Saona Island.

Irma developed from a tropical storm into a Category 2 hurricane last Thursday and rapidly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which measures hurricane strength in a range of 1 to 5.

On Monday, Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency, giving local government officials time to plan and obtain resources for a possible landfall by Irma in the Sunshine State.

Several of the forecast models used by meteorologists show Irma possibly making landfall in Florida next week.

The first tropical storm of the 2017 season was Arlene, which formed in the mid-Atlantic in April, more than a month before the official start of hurricane season on June 1.

Tropical Storm Bret formed on June 19 and was followed by Cindy, a “no-name storm,” Don and Emily.

Tropical Storm Emily made landfall on July 31 on Anna Maria Island, located south of Tampa, Florida, after forming quickly in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical Storm Franklin became the first hurricane of the season, affecting Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and was followed by another tropical storm, Gert.

Harvey caused extensive damage along the Texas Gulf coast and massive flooding in Houston, Beaumont and other cities in the southeastern part of the state.

Hurricane Harvey killed at least 60 people and the floodwaters from the storm have still not receded in most areas.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a May 25 report that 11 to 17 tropical storms would form during the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, with between five and nine of the systems becoming hurricanes, and two to four of the hurricanes reaching a high category on the Saffir-Simpson scale of strength. </s> BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (Reuters) – Tropical Storm Matthew brought flooding and felled trees to islands in the eastern Caribbean yesterday and forecasters said the 13th cyclone of the 2016 Atlantic season would reach hurricane force later this week.

Matthew moved over the Windward Islands, causing flooding in coastal areas of volcanic St. Lucia and knocking out power lines and trees in Barbados.

Airports in tourist hotspots Barbados and St Lucia were closed because of the storm, which the U.S. National Hurricane Center said packed maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour (100 kph).

“Strengthening is expected during the next couple of days, and Matthew is forecast to become a hurricane by tomorrow,” before possibly turning towards Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba, the Miami-based centre said. In Barbados, which is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands and rarely suffers major storms, schools, courts and businesses closed yesterday, as resident hunkered down for the first big storm since 2010.

“We ask all persons to remain indoors for your safety,” said Kerry Hinds, the director of the Department of Emergency Management.

Tropical storm warnings were in effect in Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, Dominica, Barbados, St. Vincent, and the Grenadine Islands, the Hurricane Center said.

The Dutch Caribbean islands of Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba – home to Venezuelan oil refineries and storage terminals – were on storm watch, the center said.

It warned that expected rainfall of up to 8 inches (20.32 cm) could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides as the storm makes its way across the region. </s> Hurricane Matthew is seen here in AVN Color Infrared Loop satellite imagery. Photo courtesy of NOAA

Hurricane Matthew is projected by the National Hurricane Center to reach Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas as at least a Category 2 hurricane. Map by National Weather Service

MIAMI, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- The National Hurricane Center upgraded Matthew to a hurricane Thursday afternoon and said it is projected to hit Jamaica, and then Cuba and the Bahamas.

The fifth Atlantic hurricane of the season and 13th storm was about 190 miles northeast of Curacao and was traveling west at 15 mph with 75 mph sustained winds, according to the center. Storms become hurricanes when they hit 74 mph.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center. Tropical-storm-force winds are up to 205 miles outward.

According to the hurricane center, Matthew was expected to strengthen gradually over the next 48 hours and then turn northwestward.

Tropical storm conditions Thursday are possible in Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba, according to the center. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches are expected over those areas through Saturday.

The center warned it could bring life-threatening mudslides and flash floods to the Lesser Antilles -- the string of smaller islands of the eastern Caribbean -- on Thursday.

Up to 2 inches of rain is forecast to fall in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

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Residents of Jamaica, Haiti and eastern Cuba should anticipate the possibility of at least a Category 2 hurricane early next week, according to Weather Underground.

Matthew is projected to reach the Bahamas on Tuesday. It was uncertain whether it would hit Florida.

"The exact track is, of course, still uncertain," senior National Hurricane Center specialist Richard Pasch told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "We have differing computer models that are showing some different solutions. We do think it's going to strengthen."

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On Wednesday, Matthew pounded Barbados with heavy winds. </s> A state of emergency has been declared in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Florida as Hurricane Irma heads for the region as a Category 5 storm that is expected to strengthen further before making landfall in the Caribbean later Tuesday.

The storm was upgraded to Category 5 from Category 4 in a National Hurricane Center advisory, putting it at the highest level of the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Irma now has maximum sustained winds of 185 miles an hour, making it an extremely dangerous and potentially catastrophic storm, the NHC warned. It’s the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic basin outside of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico in NHC records, it said.

AccuWeather said the storm ties as second strongest in the entire Atlantic basin, with only Hurricane Allen, which struck in 1980, showing stronger winds of 190 miles an hour.

“Some fluctuations in intensity are likely during the next day or two, but Irma is forecast to remain a powerful Category 4 or 5 hurricane during the next couple of days,” said the NHC advisory.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Sint Maarten, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra, according to the advisory.

Computer models show the system eventually heading near the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba on Friday into Saturday, and possibly turning north toward Florida by the weekend.

“The chance of direct impacts from Irma later this week and this weekend is increasing in the Florida Keys and portions of the Florida Peninsula,” said the NHC. “However, it is too soon to specify the timing and magnitude of the impacts.”

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“Hurricane conditions are expected within the hurricane warning area by tonight, with tropical storm conditions beginning later today,” said the advisory.

Irma is expected to dump 8 to 12 inches of rain with up to 18 inches in some areas of the northern Leeward Islands. It is now expected to pour 4 to 10 inches across northeast Puerto Rico, and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. Rainfall may cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.

In addition, the center is tracking Tropical Storm Jose forming in the open Atlantic behind Irma. Jose is the 10th named storm of the season.

Schools were closed across the region and flights were canceled, according to the Associated Press. People were stocking up on last-minute supplies and boarding up homes ahead of the storm, said the AP. There were 907 flights cancelled in the U.S. on Tuesday, with another 4,478 flights delayed, according to tracker FlightAware.

“In Florida, we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best and while the exact path of Irma is not absolutely known at this time, we cannot afford to not be prepared,” he said in a statement.

Irma comes just days after hurricane Harvey battered Texas and Louisiana, causing damages that are estimated by AccuWeather to be up to $190 billion, which if realized, would make it the costliest-ever U.S. natural disaster.

With flood water now subsiding, many residents of Houston, which took the brunt of Harvey’s rain and wind, are leaving shelters and heading home to face a variety of obstacles, including toxic pollutants in the air and water, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The authorities have lifted an evacuation order at the site of the Arkema Inc. chemical plant that was hit by explosions last week as unstable chemicals ignited after power failure shut down refrigeration systems. </s> MIAMI (AP)  The Latest on tropical storms in the Atlantic (all times local):

Weather forecasters say Tropical Storm Chris is likely to strengthen to a hurricane by Monday but will remain well away from the U.S. coast for the next two or three days.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Sunday that the storm has barely moved since Saturday. At 11 a.m. EDT, the storm”s center was located about 160 miles (260 kilometers) south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Maximum sustained winds have reached 45 mph (75 kph).

No coastal watches or warnings are in effect, but forecasters say swells along the coasts of North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic states could produce dangerous surf and rip current conditions.

Tropical Storm Chris has formed in the Atlantic, the third named storm of the 2018 hurricane season.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Sunday that the storm was likely to strengthen. As of 5 a.m. EDT, its maximum sustained winds were clocked at 40 mph (65 kph).

The storm was centered about 150 miles (245 kilometers) south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The hurricane center said the storm was expected to generate swells that would increase in intensity along the North Carolina and mid-Atlantic coasts.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Beryl – the second named storm of this season – is expected to dump heavy rain over the Lesser Antilles at the end of the weekend.

Tropical Storm Beryl is moving rapidly westward toward the Lesser Antilles at the eastern entrance of the Caribbean Sea.

The storm that had been the Atlantic season”s first hurricane has been losing power, but residents on islands hit hard by storms last year stocked up on food and water Saturday and prepared for possible damaging winds, rains and waves.

A tropical storm warning is up on Guadeloupe and Dominica, while a tropical storm watch has been issued for the French Caribbean territories of Martinique, St. Martin and St. Barts as well as St. Maarten, Barbados, St. Lucia, Saba and St. Eustatius. Puerto Rico, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria in September, remains under a state of emergency. </s> JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The National Hurricane Center began issuing advisories on Potential Tropical Cyclone Six as of 11:00 a.m. Thursday. PTC Six is more than 3,000 miles away from the First Coast. However, this system is expected to become better organized in the near future and could soon become Tropical Storm Florence.

By Friday, heavy rains and tropical storm force winds are expected over the southern Cabo Verde Islands. Tropical Storm Warnings have been issued for places like Santiago, Fogo, and Brava.

Winds across the Atlantic Ocean will street Potential Tropical Cyclone Six toward the west-northwest during the next few days. A turn northwest, deeper into the open Atlantic and farther away from the Jacksonville area, should begin early next week as the system reaches the subtropical high.

Elsewhere in the tropics, the National Hurricane Center is tracking an area of thunderstorms in the north-central Caribbean Sea. There is a low chance of tropical development over the next five days as is spreads west-northwestward into the Gulf of Mexico. This system will likely enhance our rain chances as we head towards the Labor Day holiday and early next week. </s> MIAMI (AP) — Forecasters say the fourth tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season is maintaining its strength as it moves toward the Windward Islands.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Sunday that Tropical Storm Dorian could intensify to near hurricane strength over the eastern Caribbean Sea by Tuesday.

As of 8 p.m. EDT Sunday, Dorian’s center was located about 335 miles (540 kilometers) east-southeast of Barbados and was moving west at 14 mph (23 kph). Maximum sustained winds are at 50 mph (85 kph).

A tropical storm warning is in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A tropical storm watch was issued for Grenada and Martinique.

Forecasters say Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and the Virgin Islands should monitor Dorian’s progress. </s> SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Workers in the northeast Caribbean cleared drains and pruned trees as authorities urged islanders to prepare for Hurricane Irma, a Category 3 storm that grew stronger Monday and was forecast to begin buffeting the region the following day.

Emergency officials warned that Irma could dump up to 10 inches (25 centimetres) of rain, unleash landslides and dangerous flash floods and generate waves of up to 23 feet (7 metres) as the storm draws closer.

A hurricane warning was issued for Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Martin, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and St. Barts.

“We’re looking at Irma as a very significant event,” Ronald Jackson, executive director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, said by phone. “I can’t recall a tropical cone developing that rapidly into a major hurricane prior to arriving in the central Caribbean.”

Irma is expected to strengthen in the next couple of days, and its centre is forecast to move near or over the northern Leeward Islands on Tuesday night and early Wednesday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

A hurricane watch was in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, the British and U.S. Virgin islands and Guadeloupe. A tropical storm watch was issued for Dominica.

U.S. residents were urged to monitor the storm’s progress in case it turns northward toward Florida, Georgia or the Carolinas.

“This hurricane has the potential to be a major event for the East Coast. It also has the potential to significantly strain FEMA and other governmental resources occurring so quickly on the heels of Harvey,” Evan Myers, chief operating officer of AccuWeather, said in a statement.

In the Caribbean, Antigua and Anguilla shuttered schools on Monday, and government office closures were expected to follow.

On the tiny island of Barbuda, hotel manager Andrea Christian closed down the Palm Tree Guest House as Irma approached. She said she was not afraid even though it would be her first time facing a storm of that magnitude.

“We can’t do anything about it,” Christian said by phone, adding that she had stocked up on food and water. “We just have to wait it out.”

The U.S. hurricane centre said Irma had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 kph) Monday afternoon. The storm was centred about 530 miles (850 kilometres) east of the Leeward Islands and was moving west-southwest at 14 mph (22 kph).

Both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands expect to receive 4 inches to 8 inches (10-20 centimetres) of rain and winds of 40-50 mph with gusts of up to 60 mph.

“It’s no secret that the infrastructure of the Puerto Rico Power Authority is deteriorated,” Rossello said. He activated the National Guard, cancelled classes for Tuesday and declared a half-day of work.

Meteorologist Roberto Garcia warned that Puerto Rico could experience hurricane-like conditions in the next 48 hours.

“Any deviation, which is still possible, could bring even more severe conditions to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Garcia said.

The U.S. Virgin Islands said schools would reopen on Friday instead of Tuesday.

In the Dominican Republic, Public Works Minister Gonzalo Castillo said workers there were also clearing away roadworks and cleaning out sewer drains and that President Danilo Medina would meet with emergency agencies.

Associated Press writer Ezequiel Abiu Lopez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, contributed to this report.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center issues a Tropical Storm Watch for Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao islands in the Caribbean Sea, and for the northwest South American coast.