Hurricane Emily aims at Jamaica
This satellite image, taken Friday at 4:33 a.m. ET, shows Hurricane Emily at lower right
Hurricane Emily aims at Jamaica |
This satellite image, taken Friday at 4:33 a.m. ET, shows Hurricane Emily at lower right |
Hurricane Emily weakened slightly Friday as it barreled through the Caribbean, but forecasters warned that it was still a dangerous storm.
At 11 a.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center said the hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (201 kph), dropping it to Category 3 status.
The storm was centered about 465 miles (748 kilometers) east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, forecasters said. It was moving west-northwest at about 20 mph (32 kph).
A hurricane watch has been issued for Jamaica, meaning that hurricane conditions, including winds of more than 73 mph, are expected within the next 24 hours. A hurricane watch remained in effect for the Cayman Islands, meaning hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours.
A Category 3 hurricane is capable of causing structural damage and coastal flooding, with storm surges of up to a foot.
Emily became the second major hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic season Thursday evening, briefly reaching Category 4 status Friday with winds topping 135 mph (217 kilometers).
The storm already was being blamed for one death in Grenada, which took a near-direct hit from Emily early Thursday.
Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for portions of the southern coast of the Dominican Republic and for the entire southwestern peninsula of Haiti. The warnings mean tropical storm conditions, including winds between 39 and 73 mph, are expected within 24 hours.
Forecasters said 3 to 6 inches of rain could fall on Hispaniola, which includes the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba, 2 to 4 inches of rain were forecast.
When the storm reaches Jamaica, it is expected to dump 5 to 10 inches of rain on the island. Up to 15 inches could fall in some areas, and flash floods and mudslides are possible.
Emily's five-day forecast path from the U.S. National Hurricane Center predicts the eye will mostly likely pass just south of Jamaica on Saturday and make landfall on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula late Sunday or early Monday. After crossing the Yucatan, the forecast shows the storm entering the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday.
At that point, the Mexican mainland and the far southern coast of Texas are possible targets for Emily. However, projections that far ahead can be unreliable because of the erratic nature of hurricane movement.
In Grenada, heavy rain caused flooding and mudslides and left one person dead, according to Odette Campbell of the island's National Disaster Office.
Campbell said one bridge had collapsed and there were widespread reports of damage to homes and buildings -- some of which were still being repaired after Hurricane Ivan slammed through the region last summer.
In Trinidad, Emily was still a tropical storm when it came ashore, flooding some areas.
A spokeswoman for the Trinidad and Tobago National Emergency Management Agency said emergency response teams are rescuing people trapped by high water and clearing roadways of debris.
Emily is the latest storm in what has so far been an active 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, with five tropical systems developing in the first six weeks.
All five systems have reached at least tropical storm strength, and Dennis -- which packed 150 mph winds at one point -- was the earliest Category 4 hurricane ever recorded in the Caribbean basin. The storm earlier this month caused extensive damage in Cuba and the northern U.S. Gulf Coast, killing more than three dozen people.
For Emily to reach Category 5 status, its maximum sustained winds would have to exceed 155 mph. A Category 5 hurricane is capable of producing catastrophic damage and flooding.
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