Two separate storms charged through the Caribbean on Wednesday, one poised to strike the Florida Panhandle and the stronger Hurricane Charley drenching Jamaica with heavy rain.
Millions of people in the region were on alert as the hurricane and Tropical Storm Bonnie churned on paths that weather forecasters said could deliver a double whammy to parts of Florida.
Charley had sustained winds of 121 kph, just at the threshold for hurricane status, as it headed on a course that would take its eye just south of Jamaica, the US National Hurricane Center said.
Forecasters expected the system to sweep over the Cayman Islands, a British colony and offshore finance center, then Cuba, home to about 11 million people, yesterday before hitting the lower Florida Keys early today.
Jamaican businesses were shuttered, universities suspended exams and hospitals sent patients home as people rushed to shops and gas stations to stock up on emergency supplies.
Emergency management officials said there were no immediate reports of damage or deaths in Jamaica but scores of emergency shelters opened across the island of 2.7 million people.
Bonnie was hampering Gulf oil and gas operations and was poised to strike the Florida Panhandle within a day, prompting authorities to issue a hurricane warning for the area.
It was growing stronger as it moved closer to the coast. It had sustained winds of 105 kph and could become a hurricane on Wednesday night or this morning.
Energy companies evacuated workers from 108 production platforms and 37 rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.
Florida Governor Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency as the storms approached, setting the wheels in motion for emergency shelters to open. Around 8,000 National Guard personnel were on alert.
Charley forced Air Jamaica, British Airways, American Airlines and BWIA to cancel flights and a cruise ship was diverted from a stop in Montego Bay. A caller to a radio station said there were mudslides along Jamaica's eastern coast and the Yallahs River in the eastern parish of St Thomas.
Authorities in the Florida Keys issued a mandatory evacuation order to visitors, telling them to pack up and leave immediately. It can take days to completely evacuate the 160 km chain of islands and many tourists were unable to book flights, hotel managers said.
In Key West, restaurants and bars were urged to close early yesterday. City-operated buildings were already shuttered on Wednesday but most private shops and homes were not. Duval Street, popular with tourists, was bustling.
"Que sera, que sera (What will be, will be)," said Arthur Murphy of Fort Myers, Florida, celebrating his 72nd birthday at the popular Sloppy Joe's bar, which was frequented by Ernest Hemingway.
At 5pm EDT (5am yesterday in Taiwan) Wednesday, Charley's center was 135 km southwest of Kingston, at latitude 17 North and longitude 77.5 West, the hurricane center said.
It was expected to carry 7.5 to 15 cm of rain and and large waves to Jamaica and the Caymans.
Bonnie's center at 5pm EDT (5am yesterday in Taiwan) Wednesday was about 270 km south of the mouth of the Mississippi River at latitude 26.7 north and longitude 89.3 west. It was moving to the northeast at about 19 kph and was expected to hit land between Pensacola and Panama City early today, possibly as a hurricane.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
NO EXCUSES: Marcos said his administration was acting on voters’ demands, but an academic said the move was emotionally motivated after a poor midterm showing Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday sought the resignation of all his Cabinet secretaries, in a move seen as an attempt to reset the political agenda and assert his authority over the second half of his single six-year term. The order came after the president’s allies failed to win a majority of Senate seats contested in the 12 polls on Monday last week, leaving Marcos facing a divided political and legislative landscape that could thwart his attempts to have an ally succeed him in 2028. “He’s talking to the people, trying to salvage whatever political capital he has left. I think it’s
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
RSS