Killer storm Fay barrels toward Florida
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
MIAMI, Aug 19 (AFP): Tropical Storm Fay gathered strength as it barreled toward Florida early Tuesday, after claiming dozens of lives in the Caribbean over the weekend.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the lethal storm, packing sustained winds of nearly 95 kilometers (60 miles) per hour, could intensify to hurricane strength as it pushes toward southwestern Florida coastline, with landfall possible within hours.
At 0600 GMT Fay was centered just north of the vacation hub of Key West, or about 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Naples, and was advancing at about seven miles (12 kilometers) per hour.
The NHC said the storm threatened to become a category one hurricane on a scale of one to five, with storm tides up to 1.5 meters (five feet) higher than normal.
Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson told Fox News television late Monday that while Fay is far from the strongest possible storm, even a low intensity hurricane can lead to serious injury or loss of life.
"Have you ever been hit by a coconut? Well, those things are worse than bullets. They do not travel at high velocities very often, but, when they do, they make a big hole," McPherson said.
"Not only that. We have branches that can take (off) somebody's arm."
A state of emergency was in place across Florida, while the 12,000 residents of the resort island of Marcos, south of Naples, were placed under a dusk-to-dawn curfew as a precaution from the oncoming storm, CNN said.
The storm's tail of heavy rain was still pounding Cuba, which escaped Fay's passage with little more than blown-off roofs, uprooted trees and some flooding, but no deaths.
The Dominican Republic and Haiti were not so lucky, with numerous deaths reported. The worst incident was in Haiti, where a truck carrying around 60 passengers plunged into a swollen river.
Civil protection officials said half the passengers were missing, with many feared drowned, but no firm toll was immediately available.
Four people were killed in the Dominican Republic due to the heavy rains, with thousands evacuated, media said. One woman also reportedly died in Jamaica after her vehicle overturned in flood waters.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the lethal storm, packing sustained winds of nearly 95 kilometers (60 miles) per hour, could intensify to hurricane strength as it pushes toward southwestern Florida coastline, with landfall possible within hours.
At 0600 GMT Fay was centered just north of the vacation hub of Key West, or about 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Naples, and was advancing at about seven miles (12 kilometers) per hour.
The NHC said the storm threatened to become a category one hurricane on a scale of one to five, with storm tides up to 1.5 meters (five feet) higher than normal.
Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson told Fox News television late Monday that while Fay is far from the strongest possible storm, even a low intensity hurricane can lead to serious injury or loss of life.
"Have you ever been hit by a coconut? Well, those things are worse than bullets. They do not travel at high velocities very often, but, when they do, they make a big hole," McPherson said.
"Not only that. We have branches that can take (off) somebody's arm."
A state of emergency was in place across Florida, while the 12,000 residents of the resort island of Marcos, south of Naples, were placed under a dusk-to-dawn curfew as a precaution from the oncoming storm, CNN said.
The storm's tail of heavy rain was still pounding Cuba, which escaped Fay's passage with little more than blown-off roofs, uprooted trees and some flooding, but no deaths.
The Dominican Republic and Haiti were not so lucky, with numerous deaths reported. The worst incident was in Haiti, where a truck carrying around 60 passengers plunged into a swollen river.
Civil protection officials said half the passengers were missing, with many feared drowned, but no firm toll was immediately available.
Four people were killed in the Dominican Republic due to the heavy rains, with thousands evacuated, media said. One woman also reportedly died in Jamaica after her vehicle overturned in flood waters.