Weakening Omar moves out into Atlantic

A weakening Tropical Storm Omar roared out into the Atlantic Ocean on Friday after delivering a glancing blow to the US Virgin Islands and pounding the most-populated island of St Croix.

The US National Hurricane Center said Omar, which at one point was a fierce Category 3 hurricane, shrunk to a tropical storm late Thursday with maximum winds of 70 mph (110 kph).

Omar passed between St Martin and the US and British Virgin Island, knocking down trees, and causing some flooding and minor mudslides. But forecasters said the damage could have been much worse.

There were no immediate reports of deaths or major damage, said Mark Walters, director of the disaster management agency for the Caribbean territory.

A last-minute shift to the east spared St Croix, the most populated of the islands.

Gov John P deJongh announced that a 6pm curfew on Thursday for St Croix that would be lifted on Friday at 6am because electricity was still being restored. He said the power company was having problems repairing downed lines and poles because major roadways were still being cleared.

Public schools across St Croix would remain closed on Friday.

The nearby British Virgin Islands emerged largely unscathed, said Deputy Gov Inez Archibald, noting there was little damage beyond some mudslides and scattered debris.

“We did reasonably well actually,” Inez told The Associated Press.

At least 30 people were evacuated in Antigua, where emergency officials in boats rescued people stranded on their roofs as floodwaters rose and lifted some homes from their foundations.

Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer promised an investigation into why some areas flooded so quickly when safety measures should have prevented that from happening.

He also warned residents that local produce could become scarce and food prices could rise.

“Our farming community appears to have suffered extensive loss of crops,” he said.

By late Thursday evening, it was a tropical storm centered about 715 miles (1,150 kms) southeast of Bermuda and was moving northeast at 25 mph (41 kph).

One death was reported on Puerto Rico’s tiny island of Culebra. 

 

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