Tropical Storm Fiona was expected to become a hurricane as it neared Puerto Rico on Saturday, threatening to dump up to 20 inches of rain in parts of the U.S. territory.
The 8:00 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center shows Tropical Storm Fiona is 145 miles (235 kilometers) southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, moving to the west-northwest at close to 8 mph (15 kph). Fiona has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph).
This motion is expected to continue through tonight as the storm passes near or over the island territory before the storm changes to a northwestward motion on Sunday. This track is expected to continue through Tuesday.
Fiona was expected to become a hurricane before reaching Puerto Rico’s southern coast, according to CBS News.
“We are already starting to feel its effects,” Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said at a news conference in which the lights briefly went out as he spoke, prompting groans and laughs across the island. “We should not underestimate this storm.”
Officials said the heavy rains anticipated would be dangerous because the island’s soil is already saturated. “We’re not saying that the winds aren’t dangerous, but we are preparing for a historic event in terms of rain,” said Ernesto Morales, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Juan.
Many Puerto Ricans worried about serious power outages since the reconstruction of the island’s power grid razed by Hurricane Maria in 2017 only recently began, reports NPR.org. The grid remains fragile and power outages occur daily, with some 37,000 customers already in the dark Saturday.
Luma, the company that operates the transmission and distribution of power on the island, said it flew in an extra 100 lineworkers ahead of the storm but warned of “significant” outages over the weekend.
Death on Guadeloupe
Tropical Storm Fiona lashed the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe on Saturday, killing one person in overnight flooding, according to local authorities. The region is braced for heavy rainfall and potential landslides over the weekend as the storm moves west.
A man was found dead on Saturday after his house was swept away by floods in the Basse-Terre district of Guadeloupe, the local prefect said on Twitter.
Authorities said they recorded wind gusts of up to 74 mph (120 kph), which would be considered a Category 1 hurricane. They also said 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain fell in three hours in the Gros Morne area.
Puerto Rico is prepared for Fiona
In Puerto Rico, authorities opened shelters and closed public beaches, casinos, theaters, and museums as they urged people to remain indoors. Officials also transferred hundreds of endangered Puerto Rican parrots to their shelter.
“It’s time to activate your emergency plan and contact and help your relatives, especially elderly adults who live alone,” said Dr. Gloria Amador, who runs a nonprofit health organization in central Puerto Rico.
Governor Pierluisi said $550 million in emergency funds were available to deal with the storm’s aftermath along with enough food to feed 200,000 people for 20 days three times a day.
Fiona is predicted to bring 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain in eastern and southern Puerto Rico, with as much as 20 inches (51 centimeters) in isolated spots.
