Hurricane Irene hammers Bahamas islands
Irene is currently a category three storm, with winds of 185km/h (115mph), and is expected to strengthen as it heads toward the US east coast.
Lovely Bay settlement on the remote Acklins Island was devastated, Bahamas officials said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.
The huge storm has brought flooding and power cuts across the Caribbean.
At 12:00 GMT on Thursday, Irene was located 105km (65 miles) east north-east of the Bahamas capital, Nassau, the US National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
The storm is now moving over more populated islands in the north-western Bahamas.
It is expected to strengthen to a category four hurricane, and is on a projected path veering close to the US eastern seaboard over the weekend.
Lovely Bay on Acklins Island in the southern Bahamas was badly hit, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said.
On its website, The Tribune newspaper said homes had "been completely washed away or have lost entire roofs, power lines have been downed and trees are blocking roads".
Crooked Island saw wind gusts of more than 160km/h, with a school＇s roof "completely blown off and its windows blow out", NEMA reported.
On Mayaguana Island, Irene knocked out power, and damaged at least 40 houses.
Officials are urging people throughout the Bahamas to stay indoors in a safe and secure structure.
Nassau, on the most populated island of New Providence, was expected to see some flooding.
So far, there have been no reports of casualties.
"As a general statement, we do a fair job of managing hurricanes so personal injuries, we hope, will not be substantial," Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham told the Associated Press (AP) news agency.
08/25/2011 |
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