by Associated Press,
Adapted for Montserrat:
Montserrat gets lashed by rain
Nantes River - Salem main road, blocked by boulders from flood waters
Hurricane Earl lashed the northeastern Caribbean on Monday especially northwards as a still-growing Category 3 storm on a course that could threaten the eastern United States later this week.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Earl, which formed on Sunday, was already a major hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph (193 kph), and it was likely to keep gaining force.
The storm’s forecast track would run north of the Caribbean, then bend to the north, roughly parallel to the U.S. East Coast. The hurricane center said it is early to say what effect Earl would have on the U.S.
Flooding was the result as it thundered, lightening and rained all night from about 5.00 p.m. yesterday. Roads from the north to the south suffered damage as bridges and ghauts were blocked from the flood waters and boulders that came crashing down.
Clearing the mouth of the bridge to allow water flow -
Nantes River was blocked and the flood water flowed over on the road and found its way like the river and down into Rams Enterprises basement storage. Heavy equipment were still working on that bridge at 2.00 p.m., clearing it to ready it for the continuing threats of rain.
Runaway Ghaut was blocked from mudslides, which made the road impassable from both sides. Casava Ghaut suffered most damag, ed as he bridge barrier was broken after it became blocked and the result was boulders and other debris also blocked that passage.
Runway Ghaut - mudslides blocked the road
By mid-day tosayall these were cleared and traffic was passing free while the clean-up and temporary repairs were carried out.
Cassava Ghaut bridge broken from the overrun water
Far in the north the port suffered much damage, not from the sea waters but from waters rushing off the hills.
At Carr’s Bay Romeo Wayside hardware store suffered damage from being flooded. This was the result as Manager Julian Romeo explained, “from the blockage in the nearby ghauts.” This was not the first time this has happened, but no one heeds the complaints that this should be corrected to prevent the flooding that results.
For Montserrat and other islands of the Lesser Antilles Fiona is looming as this time it is about 1000 miles to the east. The hurricane centre reports say that there is a 90% chance this system becoming a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours as it moves generally westward at about 20 m.p.h.
The eye of the powerful storm was passing close to the tiny British territory of Anguilla, where police said the wind blew the roofs off buildings and damaged utility poles.
“The winds are whistling outside,” said Martin Gussie, a police officer involved in coordinating the emergency response. “When the gusts of wind come, each time it sounds stronger.”
In Antigua, powerful wind and rain destroyed at least one home and at least eight people had to be evacuated, though there were no reports of critical injuries. Emergency response officials said about 350 people were in shelters. Local weather authorities reported at least 5 inches (13 centimeters) of rain and 10-foot (3-meter) waves.
In St. Maarten, the storm toppled trees and knocked out electricity to much of the island but there were no reports of serious damage. Heavy gusts of wind swirled debris across streets that were empty due to a government-imposed curfew.
Alisha Daya, a 24-year-old tourist from Milwaukee, said she wore earplugs Sunday night but still had trouble sleeping because of the noise from the wind and crashing waves at the Oyster Bay Beach Resort in St. Maarten.
Cruise lines diverted ships to other ports in the Caribbean and Mexico as a customary precaution for tropical weather. Antigua’s V.C. Bird International Airport closed, and regional airlines LIAT and WINAIR suspended flights.
Hurricane warnings were in effect for Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius, the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Puerto Rican islands of Culebra and Vieques.
By late Monday morning, Earl was about 165 miles (265 kilometers) east of San Juan and headed west-northwest at 15 mph (24 kph), according to the center in Miami. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 60 miles (95 kilometers) from its center.
Earl has grown rapidly in strength, fueled by warm ocean temperatures of 86 F (30 C).
Earl could bring battering waves and storm surges of up to four feet (1.2 meters) above normal on some islands, as well as downpours that threaten to unleash flash floods and mudslides.
Forecasters say there is a chance the hurricane could brush the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region toward the end of the week, with its closest approach to North Carolina on Thursday or Friday. In any case, the U.S. East Coast is likely to see pounding surf.
Meanwhile, the Category 1 Hurricane Danielle was weakening far out over the north Atlantic.
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