Felix roars toward Central America
The Category 5 storm crossed Aruba and nearby islands with less harm than feared.
ORANJESTAD, Aruba - Hurricane Felix toppled trees and forced tourists to seek shelter in hotels on a cluster of Dutch Caribbean islands yesterday before heading to the open waters of the Caribbean Sea as a Category 5 storm capable of major damage.
It was forecast to strengthen more during the next 24 hours as it headed toward Central America.
Felix's maximum sustained winds increased to 165 m.p.h., according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. It was moving toward the west-northwest at about 20 m.p.h.
The storm was forecast to spin over open waters of the central Caribbean Sea for the rest of the day and was expected to slam into Central America at midweek.
Felix lashed Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire with rains and heavy winds, causing scattered power outages and flooding some homes. But island residents expressed relief that it did less damage than feared.
"Thankfully we didn't get a very bad storm. My dog slept peacefully," said Bonaire medical administrator Siomara Albertus, who waited out the storm in her home with her Labrador retriever.
The storm forced tens of thousands of tourists and residents on the three islands off Venezuela to remain in their homes and hotels, stocked up with water, flashlights and emergency provisions.
In Bonaire, many residents prepared for the worst, installing storm shutters and hauling their boats onto beaches, but sustained winds from Felix's outer bands left little damage in the early morning hours.
In Curacao, about a dozen homes in a low-lying area were flooded. In Aruba, there was little visible damage, although at least one catamaran snapped off its mooring and a downed tree damaged a house.