Port au Prince: Hurricane Elsa ran to Haiti and Dominican Republic on Saturday, where it threatened floods and landslides before targeting Cuba and Florida.
The Category 1 hurricane was located about 110 miles (175 kph) east-southeast of Isla Beta, Dominican Republic and was moving to the west-northwest at 31 mph (50 kph). It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), the hurricane was expected to become a tropical storm after hitting Cuba, according to National Hurricane Center in Miami.
The long-term forecast track showed it moving toward Florida as a tropical storm by Tuesday morning, but some models would move it to the Gulf or Atlantic coast.
In Haiti, officials used social media to alert people to the storm and urged them to evacuate if they lived near water or mountain sides.
“The whole country is in danger from this storm.” civil defense agency said in a statement. “Make every effort to escape before it’s too late.”
Haiti is particularly vulnerable to floods and landslides due to widespread erosion and deforestation.
People were still buying water and food as the storm struck, with many worried about its immediate and long-term impact in a country grappling with a rise in gang violence and deep political unrest.
“I’m doing my best defense. The Civil Defense isn’t going to do that for me, because she bought six jugs of water with vegetables and fruits,” said Darlene Jean-Pierre, 35. I worry about the street, I worry about fighting gangs. Also, we have a hurricane. I don’t know what kind of devastation this is going to cause.”
A hurricane warning was issued for Jamaica and from the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince to Punta Palenque in the Dominican Republic. A Hurricane Watch was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Camague, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguín, Las Tunas and Santiago de Cuba. Some of those provinces have reported a high number of COVID-19 infections, raising concerns that the storm could force large groups of people to seek shelter together.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said “anticipating is the key word,” and added that vaccination efforts would continue. “Let’s take care of life and property.”
In the neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, officials opened more than 2,400 shelters as forecasters warned of heavy rain before dawn on Saturday.
Elsa is forecast to cross the southernmost point of Hispaniola by Saturday afternoon and then target communities in southern Haiti.
Hurricanes had already broken roofs, destroyed crops and downed trees and power lines in the eastern Caribbean on Friday, with damage reported in Barbados, St. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which also suffered a massive volcanic eruption that began in April.
St Vincent’s Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said at least 43 homes and three police stations had been damaged.
“We expect this number to increase as the reports come in,” he said. “We have had some damage, but it could have been worse.”
In St. Lucia, the wind damaged a secondary school, broke desks, overturned chairs and sent papers flying after blowing up the ceiling and siding.
Elsa is the first hurricane of the Atlantic season and the fifth first named storm on record. Parts of southern Hispaniola and Jamaica are expected to fall between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) of rain, with a maximum of 15 inches (38 cm).
The Category 1 hurricane was located about 110 miles (175 kph) east-southeast of Isla Beta, Dominican Republic and was moving to the west-northwest at 31 mph (50 kph). It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), the hurricane was expected to become a tropical storm after hitting Cuba, according to National Hurricane Center in Miami.
The long-term forecast track showed it moving toward Florida as a tropical storm by Tuesday morning, but some models would move it to the Gulf or Atlantic coast.
In Haiti, officials used social media to alert people to the storm and urged them to evacuate if they lived near water or mountain sides.
“The whole country is in danger from this storm.” civil defense agency said in a statement. “Make every effort to escape before it’s too late.”
Haiti is particularly vulnerable to floods and landslides due to widespread erosion and deforestation.
People were still buying water and food as the storm struck, with many worried about its immediate and long-term impact in a country grappling with a rise in gang violence and deep political unrest.
“I’m doing my best defense. The Civil Defense isn’t going to do that for me, because she bought six jugs of water with vegetables and fruits,” said Darlene Jean-Pierre, 35. I worry about the street, I worry about fighting gangs. Also, we have a hurricane. I don’t know what kind of devastation this is going to cause.”
A hurricane warning was issued for Jamaica and from the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince to Punta Palenque in the Dominican Republic. A Hurricane Watch was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Camague, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguín, Las Tunas and Santiago de Cuba. Some of those provinces have reported a high number of COVID-19 infections, raising concerns that the storm could force large groups of people to seek shelter together.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said “anticipating is the key word,” and added that vaccination efforts would continue. “Let’s take care of life and property.”
In the neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, officials opened more than 2,400 shelters as forecasters warned of heavy rain before dawn on Saturday.
Elsa is forecast to cross the southernmost point of Hispaniola by Saturday afternoon and then target communities in southern Haiti.
Hurricanes had already broken roofs, destroyed crops and downed trees and power lines in the eastern Caribbean on Friday, with damage reported in Barbados, St. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which also suffered a massive volcanic eruption that began in April.
St Vincent’s Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said at least 43 homes and three police stations had been damaged.
“We expect this number to increase as the reports come in,” he said. “We have had some damage, but it could have been worse.”
In St. Lucia, the wind damaged a secondary school, broke desks, overturned chairs and sent papers flying after blowing up the ceiling and siding.
Elsa is the first hurricane of the Atlantic season and the fifth first named storm on record. Parts of southern Hispaniola and Jamaica are expected to fall between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) of rain, with a maximum of 15 inches (38 cm).
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