Hurricane Fiona, with winds of 130 miles per hour (215 km / h), corresponding to category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale (out of 5), moved north this Wednesday and will be near the Bermuda Islands on Thursday .
(Keep reading: Hurricane Fiona: Woman survived the cyclone locked in her car with her family)
The third hurricane of 2022 in the Atlantic and until now the only one of force majeure has already passed through Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, parts of the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
(Also: Puerto Rico asks to declare the ‘major disaster’ due to the damage caused by Hurricane Fiona)
The next territory on their way is the Bermudawhich this morning was about 700 miles (1,125 km) away, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
In their graphics, the hurricane is shown passing to the east of Bermuda, very close to or even brushing against those islands, but without passing over them.
The NHC, a center based in Miami, is also following today the progress of Tropical Storm Gastón, formed and located in the middle of the Atlantic and for now without danger to land.
(We recommend: Hurricane Fiona: what impacts will it have on Colombia?)
Regarding Fiona, only a tropical storm watch is in effect (passage in 48 hours) for Bermuda, although the NHC has recommended attention to areas of the east coast of Canada.
At 0800 hours (1200 GMT) Fiona was moving north at a speed of 8 mph (13 km/h). This general motion is expected to continue through tonight and turn toward the north-northeast with an increase in forward speed on Thursday.
On the forecast track, the center of Fiona will continue to move away from the Turks and Caicos Islands today and approach Bermuda on Thursday afternoon. Maximum sustained winds are around 130 mph (215 km/h) with higher gusts.
(Also read: Mexico: what is the San Andreas fault and why does seismologists worry so much?)
Fiona is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale and until tonight it may get even strongerwith some fluctuations in intensity possible later tonight and Thursday.
Hurricane-force winds extend up to 45 miles (75 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds, weaker, out to 160 miles (260 km).
Gusty winds are likely to continue over parts of the southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos islands this morning, as well as the rains generated by Fiona throughout the Caribbean area affected by its passage. The swells and undertows remain as well.
(In other news: Video: man preferred to run away alone than to escape with his date from a robbery)
devastating damage
“Hurricane Fiona has proven to be an unpredictable storm,” said Anya Williams, Lieutenant Governor of the Turks and Caicos. The cyclone caused no deaths in that British Overseas Territory.
Until now, the hurricane left five dead: one in the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe, two in Puerto Rico and another two in the Dominican Republic.
The president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, declared three provinces as disaster zones: La Altagracia -home to the popular resort of Punta Cana-, El Seibo and Hato Mayor.
(We recommend: A new life in Canada for dogs rescued from a slaughterhouse in Indonesia)
Fiona affected homes and left serious damage to the infrastructure of basic services in this country of 10.5 million inhabitants. The authorities reported this Tuesday that more than 10,000 people were mobilized to “safe areas” and that some 400,000 are without electricity and 1.2 million without water.
Local media footage showed residents of the eastern seaboard town of Higuey standing waist-deep in water trying to salvage their personal belongings. “It happened very quickly,” Vicente López told AFP on Bibijagua beach in Punta Cana, lamenting the destroyed businesses in the area.
The NHC warned that heavy rains and life-threatening flash floods will continue this Tuesday in parts of the Dominican Republic, a day after
Fiona will reach the country.
(Also: The mysterious floor of a hotel in North Korea: young man died after entering there)
In Puerto Rico, where the hurricane made landfall on Sunday, Governor Pedro Pierluisi described the damage caused by the storm on Tuesday as “devastating.” “This is hard, there is a lot of damage and we are still evaluating the extent of it,” he said at a press conference..
Fiona caused landslides, blocked roads and toppled trees, power lines and bridges as she passed through the island of three million people, a free associated territory of the United States.
On Tuesday afternoon, barely 300,000 users had electricity in their homes (20% of the total) after the general blackout caused by the storm on Sunday, authorities reported. And some 760,000 people lacked drinking water in their homes as a result of power outages and overflowing rivers.
(Keep reading: Taupo: alert is raised for the volcano that had the largest eruption in history)
Jorge Cintrón, a resident of La Parguera, on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico, suffered material damage to his home and to his business, a beauty salon. “The experience was horrible. It was very impressive to feel the winds and see how things were lifted,” he told AFP by phone.
“It destroyed the patio that I had just remodeled. That is where I cried, because after the sacrifices one makes to have their things, it is not easy to lose them. But I am going to get up. If I have a life and my mother is fine, I will others come in addition,” said the 57-year-old man.
After years of financial problems and recession, in 2017 Puerto Rico declared bankruptcy, the largest ever by a local administration in the United States.
Later that year, the double whammy of two hurricanes, Irma and Maria, deepened the misery, devastating the power grid on the island, which has suffered from severe infrastructure problems for years.
The network was privatized in June 2021 in an effort to resolve the blackout issue, but the problem persists and the entire island lost power earlier this year.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With information from EFE and AFP
More international news:
– The secret letter left by Queen Elizabeth II and cannot be opened until 2085
– What are the cities with the most millionaires on the planet?
– President Putin threatens to use nuclear weapons: ‘it is not a boast’
#Hurricane #Fiona #reaches #category #advances #strongly #north #Caribbean