TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — After hitting Puerto Rico over the weekend, Hurricane Fiona strengthened into a Category 3 storm and became the first major hurricane of the season, the National Hurricane Center said.
At 2 p.m., the storm was battering the Turks and Caicos, moving north-northwest at 9 mph. It was centered about 30 miles north-northeest of Grand Turks Island with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph.
The forecast track shows Fiona passing near Grand Turk and other parts of Turks and Caicos Tuesday morning before it turns toward the north Tuesday night or Wednesday and heads toward Bermuda and Canada. It may strengthen into a Category 4 storm by Wednesday.
Puerto Rico saw more than 2 feet of rain over the weekend, and the entire island lost power. The storm has been blamed for two deaths in Puerto Rico, one death in the Dominican Republic and another in the French territory of Guadeloupe, according to reports.
The NHC said Fiona will continue to dump heavy amounts of rain over portions of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas and Bermuda over the next day.
The storm could bring life-threatening floods and as much as 5 to 8 feet of storm surge to coastal areas of Turks and Caicos.
Life-threatening flooding is still occurring in parts of the Dominican Republic, and additional flash and urban flooding is possible in southern portions of Puerto Rico. Localized coastal flooding is possible for the Southeastern Bahamas, according to the hurricane center.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:
- Turks and Caicos
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
- Southeastern Bahamas, including the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, the Inaguas, Mayaguana, and the Ragged Islands
Fiona is not expected to threaten the U.S. mainland or bring rain or heavy winds to the U.S., but swells generated by the storm will continue to spread across the Atlantic and “could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions” along the coast, forecasters said.
