Storm hits Cuba on way to Florida

18/08/2008| IslamWeb

Tropical Storm Fay has struck Cuba after causing widespread flooding that left dozens dead in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

The storm appears to have spared Havana and caused minimal damage elsewhere in Cuba, where authorities had evacuated dozens of low-lying areas.

But Fay could reach hurricane strength before it nears the Florida Keys later on Monday, US forecasters say.

Officials there have opened shelters and urged visitors to leave.

The storm passed over Haiti and the Dominican Republic at the weekend, bringing torrential downpours.

Several people were killed by the flooding, and in Haiti, some 50 people were feared to have drowned in the south-west of the country after the bus they were travelling was swept away by a swollen river on Sunday.

Mudslides

By 1200GMT on Monday, the centre of the storm was 125km (80 miles) east of Havana and about 160km (100 miles) south-south-east of Key West in Florida, the US National Hurricane Center said.

US forecasters warned that Fay could dump 20cm (12 inches) of rain on Cuba, with up to 30cm (12 inches) in isolated cases, bringing the risk of flash floods and mudslides.

Jose Rubiera, Cuba's chief meteorologist, said the storm had hit Cuba near the sparsely-populated Peninsula de Zapata close to the Bay of Pigs, the Associated Press reported.

Cuban authorities had warned people to be prepared for the storm and had ordered the evacuation of more than 10,000 people from low-lying areas, along with tourists staying at coastal resorts in the storm's predicted path.

Moving at about 19km/h (12mph), Fay is expected to be near the Florida Keys by Monday night and could be hurricane strength, the NHC said.

Maximum sustained winds are 100km/h (60 mph), and a hurricane watch is in effect for the Florida Keys and along the southern and western coast of the Florida mainland between Card Sound Bridge to Tarpon Springs.

Florida's Governor Charlie Crist has called a state of emergency, saying Fay threatened a "major disaster". But he insisted the state was prepared, ready and vigilant.

The main highway linking the Keys to the mainland was choked with traffic on Sunday afternoon, local police said.

Residents of Miami have, meanwhile, been stocking up on bottled water, fuel and emergency items.

Fay is the sixth tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season.

Two of the tropical storms so far, Bertha and Dolly, have reached hurricane strength - with winds of at least 119km/h.  

 

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Florida

BBC