Debby Threatens Puerto Rico
Aug. 22 -- With its eye making a slight turn to the north, residents of Puerto Rico appeared to avoid the worst of Hurricane Debby today as it became the first hurricane to make landfall this season.
But forecasters warn that Debby, which is classified as a minor hurricane, could pick up strength and approach the South Florida coast by Friday.
“The center will likely be approaching us (Florida) by Friday morning,” said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. “If it stays on our track, we’ve got Wednesday and Thursday to prepare.”
Still, forecasters stressed it was too early to gauge the storm’s threat to theU.S. mainland.
With winds up to 75 mph, Debby, a Category 1 hurricane, apparently caused little damage on Antigua, Anguilla and other small islands today. In Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory of 4 million people, there was relief as Debby’s eye passed just north of the island. Still,officials warned residents about heavy rains, life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, and about water spouts that could come ashore as isolated tornadoes.
“We’re really concerned about Puerto Rico, always, just because of the high terrain they have down there,” said Mayfield. “We’re forecasting four to six inches [of rain], and they could have some locally heavier amounts up to 10 inches.”
There was one death reported: , a 78-year-old San Juan man was killed today when he fell off a roof as he tried to dismantle atelevision antenna, police said.
At 7 p.m. ET, Debby was centered about 60 miles northwest ofSan Juan, Puerto Rico. It was moving west-northwest near 18 mph,slower than its 21 mph pace a few hours earlier, but still carryingmaximum winds of 75 mph, with higher gusts. Hurricane-force windsextended 25 miles from the storm’s center and tropical storm-forcewinds another 175 miles.
Precaution and ReliefOn nearby St. Maarten, which has been battered by hurricanes in recent years, a curfew was lifted and meteorologist Ashford James celebrated the passage of “Little Debby.”
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