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Hurricane builds off Puerto Rico Hurricane fears ease in Caribbean
(about 2 hours later)
Puerto Rico and small islands of the north-eastern Caribbean are on alert as the latest Atlantic hurricane roars in at category-three strength. Small islands in the north-east Caribbean remain on alert but the worst of Hurricane Omar may now be over for them, forecasters have said.
Rains from Hurricane Omar, which is packing maximum winds of 115mph (185km/h), have reached the Virgin island of St Croix and two Puerto Rican islands. They said the category-three storm was rapidly moving away from the northern Leeward Islands out to sea.
One man reportedly died of a heart attack on the island of Culebra. A hurricane warning has now been discontinued for the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rica, where one person has died.
The 2008 hurricane season has been active, including devastating storms that led to some 800 deaths in Haiti.The 2008 hurricane season has been active, including devastating storms that led to some 800 deaths in Haiti.
At 0300 GMT the centre of Omar was about 30 miles (45km) south-east of St Croix, the Miami-based US National Hurricane Center said. By 0900 GMT, the centre of Omar was about 70 miles (110km) north of the Leeward Island of St Martin and moving rapidly away, the Miami-based US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
Hurricane warnings remained in place for islands of St Martin, Saba, St Eustatius, St Barthelemy and Anguilla as well as St Kitts and Nevis.
However, the warning for the US and British Virgin Islands and the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra had been discontinued, the NHC said.
Forecasters repeated their concern that Omar could still dump as much as 20 inches (51cm) of rain and bring wave surges of up to six feet (1.8m) across the northern Leeward Islands.
Boats sinkBoats sink
Heavy rains and winds battered the island, sinking boats in the harbour, felling trees and forcing workers to shut down a major oil refinery, The Associated Press reports. Earlier, heavy rains and winds battered the US Virgin Island of St Croix, sinking boats in the harbour, felling trees and forcing workers to shut down a major oil refinery.
Omar is the 15th named storm of this Atlantic hurricane seasonOmar is the 15th named storm of this Atlantic hurricane season
At the Caravelle Hotel, maintenance worker Mike Parish was working by the light from generators in a vain effort to keep rain water from blowing in beneath the door after the authorities cut electricity across the island as a precaution.At the Caravelle Hotel, maintenance worker Mike Parish was working by the light from generators in a vain effort to keep rain water from blowing in beneath the door after the authorities cut electricity across the island as a precaution.
"We're doing all we can," he said. "The water is too much for us.""We're doing all we can," he said. "The water is too much for us."
US Virgin Islands Governor John deJongh on Wednesday closed all public schools, sent home government employees and imposed an 1800 curfew across the islands. US Virgin Islands Governor John deJongh on Wednesday closed all public schools, sent home government employees and imposed an 1800 curfew across the islands, warning people to "take this very seriously".
"Take this very seriously," he said. "Folks are out right now doing their last minute shopping, and that's understandable. Once that's done, we encourage them to go home." In Puerto Rico, flights were grounded, and schools, government offices and most businesses shut down as residents bought up drinking water, canned goods and other supplies.
On Puerto Rico's island of Culebra, a man collapsed as he tried to install storm shutters on his house, AP says. On Culebra in Puerto Rico, a man collapsed as he tried to install storm shutters on his house, the Associated Press reported.
On Vieques, the storm flooded roads and downed tree branches.On Vieques, the storm flooded roads and downed tree branches.
Schools, government offices and most businesses have shut down in Puerto Rico and residents have been buying up drinking water, canned goods and other supplies.
"I'm not too worried, but I went out and bought water, candles and gas," San Juan resident Kevin Mead, 35, told Reuters news agency.
Earlier, Omar dumped rain on northern Venezuela and nearby islands.Earlier, Omar dumped rain on northern Venezuela and nearby islands.