Hurricane Irene: Florida warned the Caribbean storm could increase to Category 4 before hitting U.S.

Add to My Stories Share Locals and holidaymakers in Florida have been put on high alert as Hurricane Irene gains strength in the Caribbean.The first Hurricane of the Atlantic season yesterday battered the Dominican Republic, causing heavy rain and high winds as well as dangerous sea surges on the popular holiday island.But Category 2 Irene is expected to become still more ferocious, possibly increasing to a Category 4 before hitting Florida and North and South Carolina at the weekend.

Trail of destruction: The Dominican Republic is cleaning up after Hurricane Irene struck, damaging buildings with high winds and heavy rain'We didn't anticipate it gaining this much strength this early,' said meteorologist Chris Landsea from the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, adding that the ocean's warm temperatures and the current atmosphere is 'very conducive' to energising storms.
At least 12 cruise ships sailing in the Caribbean have been forced to alter their routes to avoid the storms including vessels owned by Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

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A state of emergency was yesterday declared in the British Virgin Islands and Sir Richard Branson's holiday home on Necker Island was destroyed when lightning, caused by the stormy weather, struck the Balinese-style property.Puerto Rico lost power to half of the island and more than 100,000 don't have a water supply after the hurricane struck on Monday.U.S. President Barack Obama has declared the island state a 'disaster area' giving it access to emergency funds to aid the recovery.

Close watch: The National Hurricane Center in the US is tracking the progress of the storm and trying to predict where it will make landfallThe Turks and Caicos and Bahamas are both preparing for the hurricane by boarding up buildings and taking boats out of the sea to be stored on land.TheNational Hurricane Center has warned of storm surges, which will raise water levels between nine to 13 feet above normal tide levels in the Turks and Caicos and up to four feet in the Dominican Republic, also resulting in large and dangerous waves.Irene is the first hurricane to threaten the U.S. mainland in almost three years. If it becomes a Category 4 storm, winds could reach up to 155 miles per hour.Craig Fugate, an administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency has warned that it is 'critical' that people in Florida 'take this storm seriously'.

Serious threat: Locals and holidaymakers in Florida have been warned the hurricane could cause damage in the state if it turns into a Category 4 stormSome shopkeepers have begun boarding up their properties, while others are buying bottled water in preparation.It is thought the hurricane will not make landfall in Florida, but pass it before hitting the Carolinas. However, Irene is wide enough for squalls to hit the Sunshine State, causing high winds and heavy rain.NHC spokesman Dennis Feltgen urged south Florida residents to monitor the storm carefully, to double check their supplies of food and fuel and to review their hurricane plans.'We must prepare for the worst and hope for the best,' said Joe Martinez, chairman of the Miami-Dade County Commission.