Tropical Storm Fiona headed for Puerto Rico on Saturday, with forecasters warning that it would likely strengthen into a hurricane before making landfall on Sunday with extremely heavy rains that could cause landslides, severe flooding and power outages. The storm has already hit several eastern Caribbean islands, with one death reported in the French territory of Guadeloupe. Regional prefect Alexandre Rochatte said the body was found on the side of the road after a house collapsed in the capital Basse-Terre. More than 20 other people were rescued amid strong winds and rain that left 13,000 customers without power, with the storm tearing up roads, toppling trees and destroying at least one bridge. Fiona was centered 120 kilometers south of St. Croix Saturday night with maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h. It was moving west at 13 km/h on a path that is forecast to pass near or over Puerto Rico on Sunday night. Fiona was expected to become a hurricane before reaching the southern coast of Puerto Rico. “We’re already starting to feel its effects,” Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluigi said at a news conference, at which the lights went out briefly as he spoke, prompting gasps and laughter across the island. “We must not underestimate this storm.” Officials said the heavy rains expected would be dangerous because the island’s soil is already saturated. “We’re not saying the winds aren’t dangerous, but we’re preparing for a historic event in terms of rainfall,” said Ernesto Morales, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Juan. Many Puerto Ricans have been worried about severe power outages since reconstruction of the island’s power grid that was destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017 only recently began. The grid remains fragile and power outages occur daily. Luma, the company that manages the island’s electricity transmission and distribution, said it had flown in 100 extra line workers ahead of the storm, but warned of “significant” outages over the weekend. Fiona was forecast to pass the Dominican Republic on Monday as a potential hurricane and then Haiti and the Turks and Caicos Islands with the threat of heavy rain. The Forecaster has issued a hurricane watch for the US Virgin Islands as well as the southern coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano west to Cabo Caucedo and for the northern coast from Cabo Engano west to Puerto Plata. In Puerto Rico, authorities opened shelters and closed public beaches, casinos, theaters and museums as they urged people to stay indoors. Officials also moved hundreds of endangered parrots from Puerto Rico to their sanctuary. “It’s time to activate your emergency plan and reach out and help your relatives, especially the elderly who live alone,” said Dr. Gloria Amador, who runs a nonprofit health organization in central Puerto Rico. The governor said an elderly man died shortly after arriving at a shelter on the tiny island of Culebra just east of Puerto Rico. He said the man was living in squalid conditions and that the mayor was trying to relocate him, calling it a “quite unfortunate incident”. Pierluigi said $550 million in emergency funds were available to deal with the aftermath of the storm along with enough food to feed 200,000 people three times a day for 20 days. At least one cruise ship visit and several flights to the island were cancelled, while authorities in the eastern Caribbean islands canceled school and banned people from water sports as Fiona battered the region. In Guadeloupe, authorities said they recorded wind gusts of up to 120 km/h. They also said 23cm of rain fell in three hours in the Gros Morne region. Fiona, which is the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, was forecast to bring 13 to 25 centimeters of rain to eastern and southern Puerto Rico, with up to 51 centimeters in isolated spots. Rainfall of 10 to 20 cm was forecast for the Dominican Republic, with up to 30 cm in places. Life-threatening surf was also possible from Fiona’s winds, forecasters said. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lester in the eastern Pacific dissipated Saturday afternoon after making landfall south of Acapulco on Mexico’s southwest coast. The hurricane center said Lester’s remnants could drop 20 to 31 centimeters of rain on the coasts of Guerrero state and Michoacán state, with isolated areas getting 41 centimeters. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Madeline formed deeper in the Pacific, but forecasters predicted it would not pose a threat to land as it moved farther out to sea.
