Devastating storm heads to Bermuda
HURRICANE Fiona continued its slow and devastating march northward after slamming the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday and leaving a trail of destruction in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said yesterday morning that the storm had grown stronger, registering maximum wind speeds of 210km/h as it barrelled towards Bermuda.
The NHC said Fiona was at 170km/h north of Turks and Caicos and had been upgraded to a category 4 hurricane, the second highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale. “Swells from Fiona are expected to reach Bermuda by early Thursday (today). The swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the NHC said.
At least five people have died as the storm churned across the Caribbean – one in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe and two each in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
“Hurricane Fiona has proven to be an unpredictable storm,” Anya Williams, the deputy governor of Turks and Caicos, said in a broadcast.
Williams said no casualties or serious injuries had been reported in Turks and Caicos, but she urged residents to continue to shelter in places.
Blackouts were reported on Grand Turk and several other islands in the archipelago and 165 people were admitted to shelters, she said, adding that Britain’s Royal Navy and the US Coast Guard are standing by to provide assistance.
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has declared three eastern provinces to be disaster zones: La Altagracia, home to the popular resort of Punta Cana, El Seibo and Hato Mayor.
Authorities said on Tuesday that more than 10 000 people had been moved to “safe areas”, while about 400 000 are without electricity. Footage showed residents of the east coast town of Higuey waist-deep in water trying to salvage personal belongings.
US President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico and dispatched the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the island. Pedro Pierluisi, the island’s governor, said the storm had caused catastrophic damage on the island of three million people since Sunday, with some areas receiving more than 76cm of rain. About 80% of Puerto Ricans are still without power and about 65% without water.
Fiona caused landslides, blocked roads and toppled trees, power lines and bridges, Pierluisi said. The latest storm has left around 800 000 people without drinking water as a result of power outages and flooded rivers.