As it approached Puerto Rico on Saturday, Tropical Storm Fiona was forecast to intensify into a hurricane, threatening to drop up to 20 inches of rain on parts of the U.S. island. Forecasters issued a hurricane warning for the island as residents prepared for possible landslides, major flooding, and power outages. The storm was stationed approximately 130 miles southeast of St. Croix on Saturday morning with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.
The National Hurricane Center predicted it will pass close or over Puerto Rico on Sunday night as it moved west at 8 mph. Fiona was projected to develop into a hurricane when it approached Puerto Rico.
On Monday, Fiona is forecast to pass by the Dominican Republic. Earlier, the hurricane ravaged a number of eastern Caribbean islands, causing one death in the French possession of Guadeloupe.
Regional prefect Alexandre Rochatte told reporters on Saturday that the body was discovered on the side of a road after a residence in the capital of Basse-Terre was destroyed by flooding. More than 20 additional persons were rescued as a result of the severe wind and rain that caused 13,000 customers to lose power.
The southern coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engao westward to Cabo Caucedo and the northern coast from Cabo Engao westward to Puerto Plata are under a hurricane watch. Additionally, the U.S. Virgin Islands are under a hurricane watch.
The hurricane center has issued a tropical storm warning for numerous more islands, including the British Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, Guadeloupe, St. Barthelemy, and St. Martin.
Authorities in Puerto Rico opened shelters, closed beaches, theaters, and museums, and urged residents to remain indoors.
This NOAA-provided satellite image shows Tropical Storm Fiona in the Caribbean on September 17, 2022. NOAA via AP
Dr. Gloria Amador, who leads a non-profit health group in central Puerto Rico, stated, “It’s time to activate your emergency plan and contact and assist your relatives, especially older folks who live alone.”
As Fiona pummeled the region, at least one cruise liner visit and numerous flights to the island were canceled, and authorities in the eastern Caribbean islands canceled school and prevented anyone from engaging in aquatic sports.
Authorities in Guadeloupe reported wind gusts of up to 74 mph, which is the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane. In addition, they reported that nine inches of rain poured in three hours in the Gros Morne region.
Fiona, the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, was expected to dump 5 to 10 inches of rain to eastern and southern Puerto Rico, with up to 16 inches in isolated locations. The Dominican Republic was predicted to receive 4 to 8 inches of precipitation, with up to 12 inches in some areas. As a result of Fiona’s gusts, life-threatening surf was also predicted, according to forecasters.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lester in the eastern Pacific was predicted to make landfall Saturday evening near Acapulco on Mexico’s southwestern coast.
It was anticipated that Lester would remain a tropical storm until it reached the Mexican shore. Meteorologists warned of the threats posed by excessive rainfall.
Saturday morning, the storm produced maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. It was situated approximately 110 miles south of Acapulco and traveling 10 mph to the northwest.
From Puerto Escondido to Zihuatanejo, a tropical storm watch was issued. The hurricane center predicted that Lester might produce 3 to 6 inches of precipitation in western Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco states, with isolated regions receiving 1 foot.