Environment

New hurricane menaces Caribbean

by Amy Judd | September 6, 2008 at 02:19 pm

449 views | 2 Recommendations | 4 comments

The Carribbean is preparing for yet another storm, Hurricane Ike, to pass through their region soon.

Ike has regained strength after weakening, with winds in excess of 115mph (185km/h) as it nears the Turks and Caicos islands and the Bahamas.

Cuba has issued a hurricane watch for its eastern provinces.

Haitian officials have said that at least 500 people have been found dead as floodwaters caused by Hanna recede.

See Ike's predicted path
That storm has hit the US south-east coast and is dropping torrential rain on North and South Carolina.

Storm warnings are in force along the Atlantic coast from Georgia to New Jersey.

'Major hurricane'

Hurricane Ike gained strength to Category Four on the Saffir Simpson scale - an "extremely dangerous hurricane" - after weakening slightly earlier on Saturday, said the Florida-based National Hurricane Center (NHC).

As of 2100 GMT, Ike was tracking west south-west, moving at 15mph about 90 miles (145km) east of Grand Turk Island.

Ike could hit the Turks and Caicos islands late today or early tomorrow. Many residents have left the islands already and the airport is now closed.

It should then hit Cuba later Sunday or early Monday, again putting Havana at risk. Haiti is again at risk, and already about 500 people have been killed.

Hurricane Gustav last week and Tropical Storm Fay two weeks ago killed about 120 people.

Hardest hit by Hanna was the city of Gonaives, which was flooded with up to 16ft of water that has only now begun to recede.

The devastation there has been described as catastrophic.

Thousands of people have been displaced, and the UN World Food Programme is working hard to provide some food aid to them.
The Domican Republic has also been put on alert.

14 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend Sign In or Join to post comments

Grayce Pedulla Dillon

at 17:14 on September 6th, 2008

Storm weary residents of Florida, after recovering from Tropical storm Fay, braced for Hurricane Hanna. As it turned out Hanna passed the Florida coast off-shore and hit the northern neighbors.

Our residents breathed a collective sigh of relief, yet feeling deeply for the folks in the Carolinas getting slammed. The worst horrors though were in grief-stricken Haiti. So much destruction, much of it due to deforestation causing an inability to stabilize the run off of torrential rains.

Florida has seen more than it's share of hurricanes and tropical storms. Now we brace, once again for Ike, and wonder about more to come.

There seems to be an extra few degrees of wildlife activity, and there is a sulleness in the air that is palpable. The surf has been pretty wild, and the air was thick with tropical humidity. People pay closer attention to the news and weather. Depressing memories of hurricanes past return hauntingly. Many homes and businesses are boarded up, adding to the depression of some. A surprising amount of people are optimistic though. Mostly Christians who have faith to uplift them. The tight-knit church and faith groups encourage each other, and band together to help each other and others.

It's wait and see, now. We shall see.