Hanna could become hurricane, hit US coast

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-02 11:36

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos -- Tropical Storm Hanna brought battering waves, rain and blustery winds to this island chain on Monday, closing the main airport and schools and clearing the streets. Forecasters warned that it could become a hurricane and strike the US mainland.

"Right now, the uncertainty is such that it could hit anywhere from Miami to the outer banks of North Carolina," said Jessica Schauer Clark, a meteorologist at the hurricane center. "So people really need to keep an eye on it."

At the National Hurricane Center in Miami, meteorologist Brian Mayer examines a video monitor, Monday, Sept. 1, 2008, that displays an enhanced satellite image of the Atlantic Hurricane Basin and showing, from left to right, Hurricane Gustav, Tropical Storm Hanna and newly named Tropical Depression Nine. [Agencies]

Tropical storm warnings were posted for the Turks and Caicos and the central and southeastern Bahamas, and the US National Hurricane Center said the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season was likely to become a hurricane by midweek.

At 11 a.m. EDT, Hanna had top sustained winds near 60 mph (95 kmh) with higher gusts, and was centered about 40 miles (65 kms) north of Mayaguana Island in the southeastern Bahamas, moving west-southwest near 5 mph (7 kmh).

A US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft was expected to analyze the storm later Monday.

Hanna was expected to bring up to 12 inches of rain to the Turks chain, where the first day of school was canceled Monday and most businesses were closed. Streets were deserted and some were flooded in the capital of the popular tourist destination, which has a population of about 22,000.

Tourists Jason and Carolina Volpi were out of luck as they tried to leave. The Providenciales airport was shut down and all flights were canceled. They couldn't get seats out until Thursday, too late to attend business meetings back in Italy.

"The situation is very frustrating," Jason Volpi, 36, said as they waited under darkening skies for a taxi back to their hotel.

Hanna comes just after Gustav killed 94 in the Caribbean on the way to the US Gulf Coast. Most of the deaths were in Haiti, followed by Jamaica and the Domincan Republic. The Cayman Islands and Cuba were hit hard but apparently escaped without any loss of life.

The European Union said Monday it would give euro2 million (US$2.9 million) to Caribbean residents made homeless by Gustav. The money will pay for clean water, food, medical care, shelter and basic household items in Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. In Haiti alone, some 8,000 people are in temporary housing after high winds and floods destroyed homes and farms.