Tomas has been most entertaining, but now it is time to get serious. This weather feature has not exactly been a meteorological mensch but what was a depression earlier today has reformed into an actual tropical storm. It is possible that Tomas will achieve hurricane status Friday night through Saturday morning, but if so, only barely so.
Tomas will cross the western part of Hispaniola, drenching Haiti in dangerously heavy rains. The "eye" of the storm will pass father to the west than previously expected, maybe. But the track prediction for Tomas is very uncertain. The worst rains will be between early Friday morning and Friday evening.
From the Hurricane Center:
A hurricane watch is in effect for...
* HaitiA tropical storm warning is in effect for...
* HaitiA tropical storm watch is in effect for...
* Jamaica
* The southern coast of the Dominican Republic from the Haiti
border eastward to Barahona
* the Cuban provinces of Guantanamo...Santiago de Cuba...and Holguin
* the southeastern Bahamas...including the Turks and Caicos Islands
Holy crap - haven't they been hit by enough big storms this year? Or enough natural disasters in general for that matter.
Thomas took a pretty bad swipe at St. Lucia, mainly the south middle of the island in line with the town of Soufriere.
Phones and everything else seem Ok further north and south.
http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/topstory-Evacuation-of-storm-battered-c…