Hurricane Floyd, upgraded overnight from tropical storm status, was located about 210 miles east-northeast of Barbuda as of 8 a.m. Friday. It was moving on a west-northwesterly track that, if sustained as expected, will take it north of the upper Eastern Caribbean, including the Virgin Islands.
The weather system was moving at nearly 12 mph on a track "expected to continue today," the National Hurricane Center reported. However, it noted, "a deviation to the left could bring tropical storm conditions to the northernmost islands of the northeastern Caribbean."
Floyd had maximum sustained winds of nearly 80 mph as of 8 a.m. Friday, and further strengthening was forecast for the next 12 to 24 hours. The storm-force winds continue to extend outward up to 175 miles from the hurricane's center.
Tropical storm watches issued at 5 and 6 p.m. Thursday afternoon remained in effect for Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Martin and St. Barth's. The National Hurricane Center reported an outer rain band over much of the Leeward Islands early Friday.
At 8 a.m. Floyd's center was located near 19.1 degrees north latitude and 58.9 degrees west longitude.
Local coordinates are 18.3 degrees north and 65.0 degrees west for St. Thomas, and 17.7 degrees north and 64.8 degrees west for St. Croix. A degree equals 60 nautical miles, or a little over 52 land miles.
Weather analysts said Thursday that a low-level trough approaching the U.S. mainland East Coast could impact on Floyd's course but might not be sufficient to redirect the storm.
Gene Walker, executive director of the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency, said local residents should be "tightening the screws" in terms of finalizing routine hurricane season preparations for the passage of Floyd over the weekend.
This, he said, should include making sure the household emergency kit contains a three-day supply of drinking water, food and medications and a radio with extra batteries.
As for VITEMA itself, "We are ready," Walker said. The telephone numbers to call the agency for further information are 774-2244 on St. Thomas, 773-2244 on St. Croix and 693-5050 on St. John (not 776-6444, the number given in telephone books).
