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Jamaica alert as Dean threatens Hurricane bears down on Jamaica
(about 2 hours later)
Jamaicans are frantically stocking up on supplies and tourists are scrambling to leave, as Hurricane Dean bears down on the Caribbean island. Jamaica is bracing for what could be a devastating storm as Hurricane Dean blows in from the Caribbean Sea in the next few hours.
Jamaica is braced for a direct hit from Dean, the season's first major storm. The island sits right in Dean's path and meteorologists warn the storm could reach Category Five strength, with "potentially catastrophic" results.
The country's authorities have closed airports and imposed curfews, and the US has said it is prepared to fly in aid if necessary. Low-lying areas are being evacuated and schools and churches are being converted into emergency shelters.
Winds of 230km/h (145mph) from the hurricane have battered the eastern Caribbean, leaving at least four dead. Dean has already claimed at least four lives in the eastern Caribbean.
Haiti and the Dominican Republic have also been affected, with heavy rain and high seas causing flooding in some coastal areas.
'Band together'
Jamaica has converted schools, churches and the indoor national sports arena into emergency shelters.
Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller has called for off-duty police officers, firefighters and prison warders to report for work to help prepare for the storm.
See a detailed map of the region
She has also halted campaigning for elections, due to be held on 27 August.
"Let us band together and unite in the threat of this hurricane," she said.
People are very quiet and suppressed. There's a lot of fear around Suzanne Dodd Kingston, JamaicaBBC News website reader Dean: Readers' updates Hurricane: In picturesPeople are very quiet and suppressed. There's a lot of fear around Suzanne Dodd Kingston, JamaicaBBC News website reader Dean: Readers' updates Hurricane: In pictures
Thousands of tourists queued at airports, desperate to get flights out before the storm hits. However, Haiti and the Dominican Republic were spared the worst of its 230km/h (145mph) winds overnight, as it passed to the south, though there was some flooding in coastal areas.
Dutch tourist Gideon Tuttezs, queuing at Montego Bay's airport, told Reuters: "If we don't manage to leave we'll go back to the hotel and barricade the hotel room and then hope and pray." name="Caribbean">
Some areas have been placed under a 48-hour curfew, starting at 1800 on Saturday (2300 GMT), and regions prone to flooding are being evacuated. As Jamaica closed airports and imposed curfews, the US said it was prepared to fly in aid if necessary.
In other parts of the Caribbean: class="bodl" href="#map">See a detailed map of the region
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  • Cayman Airways has put on 15 extra flights from the Cayman Islands to Florida, as thousands flee the British territory
 Areas of the Cayman Islands and Mexican coast are also being evacuated. In the US, the return of the space shuttle Endeavour was brought forward by a day in a bid to cheat the hurricane should it eventually reach Texas, where Nasa's mission control is based.
  • In Cuba, tens of thousands of people in the east of the country are being evacuated and officials said tourist programmes had been suspended
    		•  High alert
  • Officials in the French territory of Martinique have estimated the damage caused by the hurricane will cost more than 150m euros ($200m; £100m) to repair
    		•  The National Hurricane Centre in Miami has warned that Dean could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in Jamaica.
  • A state of emergency has been declared in Mexico, where the government is preparing to evacuate thousands of tourists and close down oil production.
    		•  We are aware that the hurricane is in fact positioned for a likely direct hit and as such we have pulled out all our response agencies Krechet Creaves official in Jamaica's emergency planning department
    Hurricane Dean is building up strength as it passes through the Caribbean. "Everywhere along the coast should be taking every precaution possible to save lives," spokeswoman Rebecca Waddington told the BBC's World Service.
    Forecasters say it may achieve the highest category, five, by the time it reaches Mexico on Monday. Jamaica is on full alert. Off-duty police officers and fire-fighters have been ordered to report for duty so they can help with security and rescue operations.
    Krechet Creaves, an official in Jamaica's emergency planning department, said the island was aware it could suffer a "direct hit".
    "As such we have pulled out all our response agencies, we have put them on high alert," she told the BBC.
    Early on Sunday morning people were still heading to hardware stores to get boarding for their houses and there were long queues at petrol stations and supermarkets.
    Some areas were placed under a 48-hour curfew, which started at 1800 (2300 GMT) on Saturday.
    In other parts of the Caribbean
    • Cayman Airways put on 15 extra flights from the Cayman Islands to Florida, as thousands fled the British territory
  • In Cuba, tens of thousands of people in the east were being evacuated and officials said tourist programmes had been suspended
  • Officials in the French territory of Martinique estimated the damage caused by the hurricane would cost more than 150m euros ($200m; £100m) to repair
    • Swept awaySwept away
    Rough waves damaged buildings on the coast of the Dominican Republic, and a boy was reported drowned and several people were injured in the capital Santo Domingo.Rough waves damaged buildings on the coast of the Dominican Republic, and a boy was reported drowned and several people were injured in the capital Santo Domingo.
    On the island of Gonave, west of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, thousands of people were left without electricity and took refuge in schools and churches.
    Dean earlier visited destruction on the islands of St Lucia, Martinique and Dominica, with roofs ripped off and banana plantations flattened.Dean earlier visited destruction on the islands of St Lucia, Martinique and Dominica, with roofs ripped off and banana plantations flattened.
    In Dominica, a landslide crushed a woman and her seven-year-old son while they slept in their home.In Dominica, a landslide crushed a woman and her seven-year-old son while they slept in their home.
    In St Lucia, a 62-year-old man was swept away and drowned when he tried to retrieve a cow from a rain-swollen river.In St Lucia, a 62-year-old man was swept away and drowned when he tried to retrieve a cow from a rain-swollen river.
    On the island of Gonave, west of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, thousands of people have been left without electricity and have taken refuge in schools and churches, Associated Press reports.
    Are you in the Caribbean? Have you been affected by Hurricane Dean or are you preparing for it to pass? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below. If you have any pictures you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk.Are you in the Caribbean? Have you been affected by Hurricane Dean or are you preparing for it to pass? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below. If you have any pictures you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk.
    At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws.At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws.
    Find out more about how to send your pictures and to read terms and conditionsFind out more about how to send your pictures and to read terms and conditions
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