(San Juan) Elsa It took enough power on Friday to officially become the first hurricane of the season in the Atlantic as it slammed into the eastern Caribbean.
Schools, as well as airports and many businesses, have been closed. The hurricane appears to be heading toward Florida or the US Gulf of Mexico coast.
Heavy rain and powerful storms swept Barbados as a Category 1 hurricane battered surrounding islands, including the barely-recovering Saint Vincent and Grenadines archipelago, and recent volcanic eruptions.
Tornado Elsa It was located about 120 kilometers east of Saint Vincent Island on Friday morning and was moving west-northwest at a speed of 44 km/h. Winds can reach 120 km/h according to the US National Hurricane Center in Miami.
“This level of wind energy can blow many buildings and cause a lot of damage,” said Ralph Gonsalves, Premier of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. I beg you, let’s not underestimate this hurricane. Now is not the time to be an idiot. ”
A hurricane warning has been activated for Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Long-term forecasts for the hurricane’s path chart a path that will pass through the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Elsa could slow down and turn into a tropical storm when it arrives in Florida early Tuesday.
Dozens of shelters have been set up in St. Vincent and residents living in the valleys have been pressured to evacuate due to the dangers of flash floods, landslides and mudslides. The northeastern sector of the island, near La Soufriere volcano, is particularly targeted.
The prime minister, Gonçalves, urged, “Don’t wait until it’s too late to get to a shelter.”
He said 94 shelters have been opened, a number lower than seen in the past, but about 2,000 people have already been accommodated in other shelters due to the volcanic eruptions that occurred last April.
Tropical storm warnings have been issued for Martinique, the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
A fifth storm hasn’t been named so early in the year since this information was compiled, according to Colorado State University researcher Phil Klotzbach.
It was the fifth fastest previous storm that occurred last year. Set July 6, 2020.
