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WORLD
THE BATTALION
Page 13
mister
aribbean braces for storm
\urricane threatens Puerto Rico, other islands
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) —
'ompact, quick-moving Debby be
anie the first hurricane to make
|andfall this season, hitting several
mall Caribbean islands on a north-
esterly route that menaced Puerto
ico and the Bahamas archipelago.
Forecasters said it was too early
:ogauge the threat to the U.S. main-
and but urged residents to monitor
he storm.
With winds up to 75 mph, Debby
vas a minor hurricane, apparently
causing little damage on Antigua,
|\nguilla and other small islands
uesday morning. It then made a
light — but crucial — turn to the
orth that meant populous Puerto
ico and the vulnerable Dominican
epublic could be spared the worst.
“We’ve fared well. I’m looking
[outside at my garden, which was
levastated by Hurricane Lenny last
[year, and it still has flowers,” said
IGlen Holm, director of the tourism
bureau on the Dutch island of Saba.
On nearby St. Maarten, battered
by hurricanes in recent years, a cur
few was lifted and meteorologist
Ashford James celebrated the pas
sage of “Little Debby.”
Still, the threat was sufficient to
disrupt life throughout the northern
Caribbean as residents, tourists,
businesses and authorities sprang
into the routine — terrifying to
7 Aug. 22
5 p.m. EDT
300 mi.
300 km.
Hurricane Debby
Moving: WNW at 21 mph
Sustained wind: 75 mph
Wind gusts: 90 mph
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some, exhilarating to others — of
bracing for a storm.
The U.S. Virgin Islands declared
a curfew and requested federal help,
and a major oil refinery was partial
ly shut down. Airlines canceled
flights, schools and banks closed,
storekeepers nailed plywood to win
dows and cruise lines diverted ships.
“We're really con
cerned about
Puerto Rico ... be
cause of the high
terrain they have
down there/'
— Max Mayfield
director of the National Hurricane
Center
The storm’s center will likely ap
proach Florida by Friday morning,
Max Mayfield, director of the Na
tional Hurricane Center in Miami,
told AP Network News. “If it stays
on our track, we’ve got Wednesday
and Thursday to prepare.”
In Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory
of 4 million people, there was relief
at predictions Debby’s eye would
pass just north of the island, mean
ing a probability of lesser, tropical
storm-force winds. Still, officials
warned of life-threatening flash
floods and mudslides.
“We’re really concerned about
Puerto Rico, always, just because of
the high terrain they have down
there,” Mayfield said. “We’re fore
casting four to six inches (of rain),
and they could have some locally
heavier amounts up to 10 inches.”
The U.S. Navy abandoned exer
cises near the outlying island of
Vieques, moving 10 ships and two
submarines 300 miles south.
At 2 p.m. EDT, Debby was cen
tered about 55 miles northeast of
San Juan after passing over the
British Virgin Islands, moving west-
northwest at 22 mph. Its maximum
winds were 75 mph, with higher
gusts. Hurricane-force winds ex
tended outward 25 miles from the
storm’s center, and tropical storm-
force winds another 175 miles.
Hurricane warnings were posted
for the Turks and Caicos and the
southeastern Bahamas, and a hurri
cane watch was in effect for the cen
tral Bahamas and northern Haiti.
The twin-island nation of St.
Kitts and Nevis was spared, en
abling the continuation of Carifesta,
a 35-nation arts and music festival
that began Thursday.
On the U.S. Virgin Island of St.
Croix, HOVENSA, one of the
largest oil refineries in the Western
Hemisphere, shut down some pro
cessing units and was considering a
complete shutdown, said
spokesman Alex Moorhead.
The possibility that HOVENSA,
with a refining capacity of 500,000
barrels per day, could suspend activi
ty was being clbsely watched by in
vestors who saw the price of oil fu
tures shoot up Monday. The refinery
is a joint venture between Hess Oil
Virgin Islands Corp. and the Venezue
lan PDVSA state oil company.
In Puerto Rico, tourists boarded
early morning flights from San Juan
for the U.S. mainland.
Lane Goldberg, 16, of Westport,
Conn., was with a youth group trying
to get home after working on com
munity service projects in Tortola.
“It’s been crazy, some kids were
crying, kids were freaking out, par
ents were freaking out,” Goldberg
said. He was bumped from four
flights at San Juan’s airport.
Others were more relaxed.
“I hope it’s over soon, because I
need a suntan by Sunday,” said Di
ana Chiquito of New York City, sun
bathing on San Juan’s Condado
beach. Offshore, surfers enjoyed the
higher waves.
Free Checking
& Free Chow
And while we re at it: Free Check Card,
Five Checks and Free Online Banking, only
from the Bank ULong mire Kroger branch
Open a Free Checking account by September 22 at the Bank United in
the Kroger at Longmire and Highway 6, and you not only get an incredibly
free account, you could win $10 gift certificates to the Dixie Chicken
every week for the fall 2000 semester. But that's not the only reason to open
an account at Bank U. Right now, we’re offering a free Check Card, an
order of free checks, and free Online Banking."
Remember, this is an exclusive offer for customers of the Bank United
branch in the Longmire Kroger, so stop by before September 22.
Bank
U United
Longmire at Highway 6 in Kroger, 695-2268
Open Monday-Friday 9-8, Saturday 9-5, Sunday Noon-5
thank you,
bank U.
FDIC Insured. Free Checking is for personal, regular checking accounts. Free Check Card offer will waive the $ 1 monthly fee. Free checks offer Is for 200 Bank
United custom checks. “Online Banking is free of monthly service charges after a one-time setup fee of $9.95. Offer good through September 22, 2000.
Drawing for 13 $ 10 food gift certificates from the Dixie Chicken will be held September 22 and is not limited to accountholders. See entry form in branch for details
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