Storm Fiona is a challenge for residence of Puerto Rico
In Puerto Rico, officials built shelters and shut down tourist spots, resorts, theatres, and exhibitions while pleading with residents to stay indoors due to Storm Fiona.
Forecasters warned that as tropical storm Fiona approached Puerto Rico on Saturday night, it will likely intensify into a hurricane before making landfall on Sunday with exceptionally heavy rainfall that may result in landslides, major floods, and power shortages.
One fatality has been confirmed in the French territory of Guadeloupe, where the hurricane has already battered many eastern Caribbean islands. In addition to the more than 20 other individuals who were saved, more than 13,000 customers lost power as a result of the storm's high winds, downed trees, and destruction of at least one bridge.
Late on Saturday, Fiona's center was 150 miles southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. It was travelling at 8 mph in a west-northwesterly direction and was expected to pass Sunday over Puerto Rico or over the island. Before hitting the southern coast of Puerto Rico, storm Fiona was predicted to intensify into a hurricane.
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| -- In Loiza, Puerto Rico, locals get ready for the arrival of Tropical Storm Fiona on Saturday. |
Officials warned that the island's already-saturated soil made the predicted heavy rains perilous.
Since the restoration of the island's electrical grid, which was destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017, has just recently started, many Puerto Ricans were concerned about prolonged power disruptions. Daily power interruptions are a result of the grid's continued fragility.
A further 100 lineworkers were flown in ahead of the storm, according to Luma, the firm responsible for the transmission and distribution of electricity on the island, although it issued a warning about "severe" disruptions over the weekend.
On Monday, storm Fiona storm was predicted to pass over the Dominican Republic as a possible hurricane, followed by Haiti and the Turks and Caicos Islands with the possibility of extremely heavy rain. From Cabo Caucedo to Cabo Frances Viejo, the Dominican Republic's coast was under a hurricane warning, according to forecasters.
Authorities in Puerto Rico encouraged residents to stay inside by opening shelters and closing public beaches, casinos, theatres, and museums. Hundreds of endangered Puerto Rican parrots were also moved to their sanctuary by officials.
As Fiona tore across the eastern Caribbean islands, officials closed schools and forbade residents from participating in water activities, cancelling at least one cruise ship visit and a number of flights to the island.
Fiona storm, the sixth tropical cyclone of the Atlantic hurricane season, was expected to dump 5 to 10 inches of rain across eastern and southern Puerto Rico, with as much as 20 inches in a few isolated areas. Dominican Republic rains of 4 to 8 inches, with up to 12 inches in some areas, were predicted. Forecasters warned that Fiona's winds could also cause life-threatening surf.
