North Eastern Caribbean Bracing For Hurricane Omar

Projected Path For Hurricane Omar

The fifteenth depression of the season, which formed over the eastern Caribbean Sea on Monday north north west of the Dutch West Indian islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao has since developed into Hurricane Omar, a category 1 storm with further development potential. At 2:00pm on Wednesday October 15, the hurricane was located at 15.5 North and 66.6 West or about 195 miles (310 km) southwest of St. Croix and about 205 miles south of San Juan Puerto Rico. The storm was moving east north east near 13mph, directly towards the Northern Leeward Islands packing winds of 85mph with some additional strengthening possible before traveling through the Northern Leeward Islands late on Wednesday and early on Thursday. 
 
A hurricane warning was issued on Wedneday for St. Martin/Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barthelemy, the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla.
 
 For the small islands, it represents the relatively rare occasion that they are approached from the South West rather than the more usual Easterly approaches. Disaster officials on the island of Anguilla for example alerted residents to the fact as early as Monday that the storm has a path similar to the track taken by Hurricane Lenny in 1999. Lenny which was moving more slowly than Omar is currently, caused extensive devastating flooding throughout the island. On Tuesday the appeal was made for residents of low lying areas in the center, East and South Western portions of the island to move to higher ground.
 
 Regional airline carrier, LIAT, announced on Wednesday afternoon that several flights throughout the North Eastern Caribbean were suspended for Wednesday and Thursday because of the hurricane. In addition , Schools, Government offices and several ports were closed on Wednesday as islands prepared for the late season hit.