Hurricane Irma, now a powerful Category 4 storm, on Tuesday plowed toward the Caribbean and the southern United States as islands in its path braced for possible life-threatening winds, storm surges and flooding.
Hurricane warnings and watches were in effect for territories that dot the West Indies, including parts of the Leeward Islands, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, in preparation for a storm that was intensifying with 140 mph (220 kph) winds, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
The National Weather Service said in an advisory on Monday: “Preparations should be rushed to completion as tropical storm-force winds are expected to arrive in the hurricane warning area by late Tuesday.”
A Category 4 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale means sustained winds of 130-156 mph (209-251 kph) with “catastrophic” outcomes, including uprooted trees and downed power lines, water and electricity outages, and significant property damage causing uninhabitable conditions, according to the Miami-based hurricane center.
In preparation for the storm, the government of economically struggling Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard on Monday. The U.S. island territory, home to about 3.4 million people, has 456 emergency shelters prepared to house up to 62,100 people.
Puerto Rico also activated a price freeze on basic necessities, including food and water, medicines, power generators and batteries, to help residents prepare.
Telemundo TV station WIPR in Puerto Rico showed long lines of shoppers stocking up on bottled water, flashlights, batteries, generators, food and other items.