Hurricane warning for Puerto Rico ahead of Tropical Storm Fiona

CNN
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Tropical Storm Fiona began hitting the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Saturday and could hit the latter like a hurricane on Sunday, posing major flood and mudslide threats, meteorologists say.

Hurricane warning in effect for Puerto Rico, reflecting forecasters’ belief that it will strengthen into a hurricane — with sustained winds of at least 74 mph — by the time it approaches or over the island Sunday night.

Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center said hurricane hours are in effect in the US Virgin Islands as well as parts of the Dominican Republic.

Fiona, after Guadeloupe and other islands in the northeastern Caribbean were showered with heavy rain and winds Friday and Saturday morning, centered over the Caribbean 90 miles southeast of St. Croix from the US Virgin Islands as of 2 p.m. ET Saturday, NHC He said.

It had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph – below the 74 mph threshold for distance Category 1 hurricanealthough a strengthening is expected as the weekend progresses.

Outer bands were already hitting the Virgin Islands and parts of Puerto Rico early Saturday afternoon, causing some rain and storms. More than 80,000 homes and businesses were without power in Puerto Rico around 2 p.m. ET. to me PowerOutage.us.

“The center of Fiona is expected to move near or south of the Virgin Islands (Saturday), approach Puerto Rico (Saturday night), and move near or over Puerto Rico on Sunday night,” before moving near the Dominican Republic on Monday, the center He said.

The storm is “likely to be near or as strong as a hurricane as it moves near Puerto Rico,” the center of hurricanes He said.

One of the biggest threats to Fiona is the rain expected to shower him, in particular In Puerto Rico: Generally 12-16 inches, with 20 inches in isolated areas there, meteorologists say.

“These rains are likely to cause flash floods and urban flooding, along with mudslides in higher terrain areas, particularly southern and eastern Puerto Rico and eastern Dominican Republic,” the hurricane center He said.

Tropical storm conditions – including winds of at least 39 mph – are expected to reach the US and British Virgin Islands beginning Saturday afternoon and spread across Puerto Rico on Saturday evening.

The Hurricane Center said a hurricane was expected in Puerto Rico on Sunday and Sunday night — and likely in the US Virgin Islands Saturday night.

Forecasters said the storm could also be hurricane-force when it passed over or near the Dominican Republic on Monday.

Fiona became a tropical storm over the Atlantic on Wednesday before entering the eastern Caribbean on Friday.

Here’s how much rain is expected at certain locations over the next few days, according to the hurricane center:

• Leeward Islands, including Guadeloupe, and the North Windward Islands: 2-4 inches above what they have already received.

• British and American Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico: 4-6 inches, with the possibility of 10 inch isolated areas.

• Puerto Rico: 12-16 inches, with isolated 20-inch zones possible.

• dominican republic: 4-8 inches, with isolated 12-inch areas possible. Especially on the Far East Coast.

• Haiti: 1-3 inches, maximum insulated 4 inches.

• Turks and Caicos Islands: 4-6 inches.

a Flood Hour The National Weather Service said it was in effect through Monday afternoon in the US Virgin Islands and parts of Puerto Rico.

storm surges Pushing ocean waters inland – 1 to 3 feet is also possible for Puerto Rico’s southern coast. The hurricane center said surges of one to two feet were likely to occur in the US Virgin Islands.

This is the first time in more than three years that Puerto Rico has issued a hurricane warning or warning watch. The last time was in August 2019, when Hurricane Dorian was The island passed K Class 1 Storm.

Some tropical storms have passed over the island since then, CNN meteorologists said, but Dorian was the last hurricane-force storm to pass within 50 miles.

Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico was devastated nearly five years ago Making landfall a Category 4 storm on September 20, 2017 Killing several thousand people and tearing apart an old power grid, leaving more than a million people without electricity or running water for months.