Omar grows into Category 3 hurricane in Caribbean
Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:58 am
From the AP: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gVWj ... wD93REPI00
CHRISTIANSTED, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) - A fast-strengthening Hurricane Omar was crossing the northern Leeward Islands early Thursday as a major Category 3 storm.
A day earlier, the hurricane sank boats in a St. Croix harbor, knocked down trees and trapped people in their homes before spinning toward other tiny islands.
The storm's top winds increased Thursday to 125 mph (205 kph) on a path that forecasters said would likely bring it past the U.S. and British Virgin Islands on one side and territories including Anguilla on the other, potentially missing a direct hit on any Caribbean island.
"It could thread the needle, but any kind of track deviation and any of those islands will be clobbered," said Jack Beven of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
As Omar's center edged past St. Croix late Wednesday, some panicked residents were denied evacuation requests because emergency responders were pinned down by the storm, according to Jacqueline Heyliger, deputy director of the island's emergency management agency.
CHRISTIANSTED, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) - A fast-strengthening Hurricane Omar was crossing the northern Leeward Islands early Thursday as a major Category 3 storm.
A day earlier, the hurricane sank boats in a St. Croix harbor, knocked down trees and trapped people in their homes before spinning toward other tiny islands.
The storm's top winds increased Thursday to 125 mph (205 kph) on a path that forecasters said would likely bring it past the U.S. and British Virgin Islands on one side and territories including Anguilla on the other, potentially missing a direct hit on any Caribbean island.
"It could thread the needle, but any kind of track deviation and any of those islands will be clobbered," said Jack Beven of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
As Omar's center edged past St. Croix late Wednesday, some panicked residents were denied evacuation requests because emergency responders were pinned down by the storm, according to Jacqueline Heyliger, deputy director of the island's emergency management agency.