Hurricane Fiona swept across the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday as a Category 3 storm after having ravaged Puerto Rico, where most individuals remained without electricity or running water and rescuers used heavy equipment to lift survivors to safety.
The storm’s eye passed near Grand Turk, the capital of the small British territory, after the federal government imposed a curfew and urged people to flee flood-prone areas. Storm surge could raise water levels there by as much as 1.5-2.5 metres above normal, in line with the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
In a while Tuesday, the storm was centered about 80 kilometers north of North Caicos Island, with hurricane-force winds extending as much as 45 kilometers from the centre.
Premier Washington Misick urged people to evacuate, saying that “storms are unpredictable.” He delivered his statement from London, where he had just attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. “You have to subsequently take every precaution to make sure your safety.”
Fiona had maximum sustained winds of 185 kph and was moving north-northwest at 13 kph, in line with the Hurricane Center, which said the storm was more likely to strengthen right into a Category 4 hurricane because it approaches Bermuda on Friday.
It was forecast to weaken before running into easternmost Canada over the weekend.
The broad storm kept dropping copious rain over the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, where a 58-year-old man died after police said he was swept away by a river within the central mountain town of Comerio.
One death was linked to an influence blackout — a 70-year-old man was burned to death after he tried to fill his generator with gasoline while it was running, said officials.
Parts of the island had received greater than 64cm of rain and more was falling on Tuesday.
Within the Dominican Republic, authorities reported one death: a person hit by a falling tree. The storm displaced greater than 12,400 people and cut off at the least two communities.
Fiona is currently not expected to threaten america’s mainland.
