Caribbean islands brace for fierce Hurricane Irma, now a Category 4 storm
Irma is forecast to strengthen over the next 48 hours and could
"directly affect Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and Cuba
as a dangerous major hurricane later this week," the NHC said.
In
preparation for the storm, the economically struggling Puerto Rico
government on Monday declared a state of emergency and activated the
National Guard.
"Despite the economic challenges Puerto Rico is
facing, the approved budget has $15 million for the emergency fund,"
Governor Ricardo Rosselló said in a statement.
The island of about 3.4 million people has 456 emergency shelters prepared to house up to 62,100 people.
To
help residents prepare for the storm, the Puerto Rican government
activated a price freeze on basic necessities, including food and water,
medicines, power generators and batteries. (Reporting by Alana Wise in
New York; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Irma is forecast to strengthen over the next 48 hours and could
"directly affect Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and Cuba
as a dangerous major hurricane later this week," the NHC said.
In
preparation for the storm, the economically struggling Puerto Rico
government on Monday declared a state of emergency and activated the
National Guard.
"Despite the economic challenges Puerto Rico is
facing, the approved budget has $15 million for the emergency fund,"
Governor Ricardo Rosselló said in a statement.
The island of about 3.4 million people has 456 emergency shelters prepared to house up to 62,100 people.
To
help residents prepare for the storm, the Puerto Rican government
activated a price freeze on basic necessities, including food and water,
medicines, power generators and batteries. (Reporting by Alana Wise in
New York; Editing by Sandra Maler
Sept 4 (Reuters) - Hurricane Irma, barreling towards the Caribbean,
has been upgraded to a powerful Category 4, as islands in its path brace
themselves for the dangerous storm's arrival.
Hurricane
advisories have been issued for territories that dot the West Indies,
including parts of the Leeward Islands, the British and U.S. Virgin
Islands and Puerto Rico in preparation for the intensifying storm that
could pummel the area with life-threatening wind, storm surges and
torrential rain by Tuesday evening, according to the U.S. National
Hurricane Center (NHC).
A Category 4 hurricane on the five-step
Saffir-Simpson scale means sustained winds of 130-156 miles per hour
(209-251 kph) with "catastrophic" outcomes, including uprooted trees and
downed power lines, water and electricity outages, and significant
property damage causing uninhabitable conditions, according to the
Miami-based hurricane center.
Irma, now packing 130 mph (215 kph) winds, also threatens Florida and
the U.S. East Coast, said the NHC, which cautioned that it was still
too early to forecast the storm's exact path or what effects it might
have on the continental United States.
"There is an increasing
chance of seeing some impacts from Irma in the Florida Peninsula and the
Florida Keys later this week and this weekend. In addition, rough surf
and dangerous marine conditions will begin to affect the southeastern
U.S. coast by later this week," the center said.
Irma will be the second powerful hurricane to thrash the United States and its territories in as many weeks.
Residents in Texas and Louisiana are still reeling from the catastrophic
effects of the deadly Hurricane Harvey, which struck Texas as a
Category 4 hurricane on Aug. 25 and dumped several feet (meters) of
rain, destroying thousands of homes and businesses.
Irma is forecast to strengthen over the next 48 hours and could
"directly affect Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and Cuba
as a dangerous major hurricane later this week," the NHC said.
In
preparation for the storm, the economically struggling Puerto Rico
government on Monday declared a state of emergency and activated the
National Guard.
"Despite the economic challenges Puerto Rico is
facing, the approved budget has $15 million for the emergency fund,"
Governor Ricardo Rosselló said in a statement.
The island of about 3.4 million people has 456 emergency shelters prepared to house up to 62,100 people.
To
help residents prepare for the storm, the Puerto Rican government
activated a price freeze on basic necessities, including food and water,
medicines, power generators and batteries. (Reporting by Alana Wise in
New York; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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