Hurricane weakens, but Haiti still threatened

November 01, 2010|Associated Press

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent — Hurricane Tomas weakened slightly yesterday after tearing off roofs and downing power lines in the eastern Caribbean. Forecasters said the storm could gain force and veer toward earthquake-stunned Haiti, where some 1.3 million people in tents and under tarpaulins are vulnerable to heavy rains and wind.

With maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, Tomas was barely a hurricane. The US National Hurricane Center in Miami predicted more weakening during the next 24 hours before it begins to strengthen again around midweek.

Daniel Brown, a center forecaster, said Tomas is “likely to strengthen when it’s over the central Caribbean,’’ and Haiti could be hit by rains from outer bands in another couple of days.

Late yesterday afternoon, Tomas’s center was steaming west at around 12 miles per hour. It was expected to continue on that track for the next two days, then gradually turn toward the north.

Brown said it’s too early to say how strong Tomas could be later in the week or if Haiti might suffer a direct hit.

He said, however, that “there’s certainly going to be the threat of heavy rainfall’’ to the impoverished nation, where widespread deforestation and ramshackle homes mean that even moderate rains can cause devastation.