Post by Tulameen on Sept 19, 2005 21:19:41 GMT -5
BBC NEWS
Tens of thousands of tourists and residents have been ordered to leave the Florida Keys as Tropical Storm Rita heads toward the US chain of islands.
The storm could become a hurricane late on Monday, when it is expected to be between the Keys and Cuba, experts say.
The storm is now hitting the Bahamas with heavy rains and strong winds.
Its predicted path would take it to Texas - where many of Hurricane Katrina's victims have sought refuge - at the weekend.
Rita is this season's 17th storm - last week Hurricane Ophelia pounded the North Carolina coast, flooding many coastal areas.
State of emergency
At 1200 GMT Rita's centre was about 235 miles (380km) south-east of Nassau, the capital of Bahamas, and moving west at a speed of about 9mph (15km/h).
The authorities there urged people to stay at home and board up their windows. Flooding is expecting in low-lying areas.
In Florida, the authorities ordered visitors out of the Keys - a 110-mile (177km) chain of islands off the state's southern tip - on Sunday.
Residents were asked to leave on Monday.
Despite the evacuation orders, some hotels and businesses remained open and few were boarded up, reports from Key West said.
Schools will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday.
Alerts are also in place for mainland Florida.
Governor Jeb Bush has declared a state of emergency, which allows the state to oversee evacuations and call in the National Guard.
The hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November - experts have warned that this year there may be more storms than average.
Story from BBC NEWS:
news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4261166.stm
Published: 2005/09/19 15:28:16 GMT
© BBC MMV
Tens of thousands of tourists and residents have been ordered to leave the Florida Keys as Tropical Storm Rita heads toward the US chain of islands.
The storm could become a hurricane late on Monday, when it is expected to be between the Keys and Cuba, experts say.
The storm is now hitting the Bahamas with heavy rains and strong winds.
Its predicted path would take it to Texas - where many of Hurricane Katrina's victims have sought refuge - at the weekend.
Rita is this season's 17th storm - last week Hurricane Ophelia pounded the North Carolina coast, flooding many coastal areas.
State of emergency
At 1200 GMT Rita's centre was about 235 miles (380km) south-east of Nassau, the capital of Bahamas, and moving west at a speed of about 9mph (15km/h).
The authorities there urged people to stay at home and board up their windows. Flooding is expecting in low-lying areas.
In Florida, the authorities ordered visitors out of the Keys - a 110-mile (177km) chain of islands off the state's southern tip - on Sunday.
Residents were asked to leave on Monday.
Despite the evacuation orders, some hotels and businesses remained open and few were boarded up, reports from Key West said.
Schools will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday.
Alerts are also in place for mainland Florida.
Governor Jeb Bush has declared a state of emergency, which allows the state to oversee evacuations and call in the National Guard.
The hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November - experts have warned that this year there may be more storms than average.
Story from BBC NEWS:
news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4261166.stm
Published: 2005/09/19 15:28:16 GMT
© BBC MMV