NASSAU, Bahamas (AP), Storm-weary residents in the Bahamas braced for a brush
with Hurricane Floyd as it swelled and powered up to a major storm, packing winds of up to
145 mph on Sunday. All of the Bahamas, a 600-mile-long line of islands, was under
hurricane warnings or watches. Forecasters said they might also issue a hurricane watch
for part of Florida's east coast Monday. If Floyd stays on its current path, it
would hit the coast of Florida between West Palm Beach and Cocoa Beach. Forecasters
expected the hurricane to begin turning north before landfall, though perhaps not much
before.
A U.S. hurricane hunter airplane reported Sunday evening that Floyd's winds had
topped the 131 mph mark of a very dangerous Category 4 storm.
``I didn't expect such a very fast intensification today,'' said Jerry Jarrell,
director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. ``This is a real surprise for us.''
Hurricane Andrew had Category 4 status when it struck South Florida in 1992,
killing 26 people and causing an estimated $25 billion in damage.
Experts said that by Tuesday Hurricane Floyd could approach the Abacos Islands
and Eleuthera, which were blasted last month by Hurricane Dennis.
``I just got back on my feet from last month's scare,'' sighed Marie Johnson of
Nassau as she pulled out a few bills to pay for flashlight and radio batteries at the City
Market grocery store. The U.S. National Weather Service recommended people along the
southeast coast monitor the storm's course.
In Florida, emergency management officials began mobilizing, with the state's
Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee calling in essential personnel for
'round-the-clock staffing.
Many Floridians took advantage of the weekend's final day to take careful
inventory of their hurricane supplies. Osvaldo Ibarra, hardware manager at a Home Depot in
Miami, said sales were brisk for batteries, nails, rope and hurricane shutter fasteners.
``People are really buying the extra screws, the rope, and we've seen a lot more generator
sales,'' Ibarra said.
In Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, south of the storm's center,
meteorologists warned that the terrain was already saturated, and that there could be
heavy flooding.
Officials posted warnings for Hurricane Floyd across the central Bahamas and
hurricane watches throughout the northwest Bahamas. Tropical storm warnings were in effect
for the southeast Bahamas and Britain's Turks and Caicos Islands.
The storm swelled in size during the weekend. Hurricane-force winds had
broadened to 115 miles from Floyd's center by Sunday. Tropical storm force winds
extended another 175 miles, and forecasters said the storm would likely strengthen
overnight Sunday.
At 11 p.m. EDT, Floyd was centered about 330 miles east of San Salvador in the
central Bahamas, and was moving west at near 14 mph.
Floyd's center is likely to pass close to the capital,
Nassau, on Tuesday morning, said Arthur Rolle, deputy director of the Bahamas
Meteorological Department.
On Sunday, tourists in Nassau watched weather reports nervously. Honeymooners
Michael and Julie Smith of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, lamented their bad luck.
``I hope this doesn't mean our marriage is going to be like this, messed up,''
Michael said.
Residents Jean and Jerry Isaacs said they had canceled plans to spend a few days
in Florida.
``We could get over okay today, but by the way things are going, it'll be tough
getting back,'' Jean Isaacs said.
Elsewhere, Floyd was joined Sunday by Tropical Storm Gert, which formed midway
between Africa and Barbados. Forecasters said it was gathering strength quickly and could
become a hurricane Sunday night or Monday.
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