Storm Dorian churns toward Barbados, sending island into shutdown
Tropical Storm Dorian is pictured off the coast of Venezuela in this August 26, 2019 NASA satellite photo. NASA/Handout via REUTERS
BRIDGETOWN (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Dorian gathered strength on Monday as it barreled west toward Barbados, where residents stocked up on food to hunker down for an onslaught of heavy wind and rain.
On Monday morning, some Barbados gasoline pumps had run dry, and island residents piled into packed stores to buy everything from pain relievers and batteries to bottled water, crackers and canned goods before the island's official shutdown at 10 a.m.
A man purchases bottled water from a local grocery store as Tropical Storm Dorian approaches in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo
Nearby St. Lucia also braced for Dorian's arrival, and a hurricane watch was issued for the small island. A tropical storm watch was in effect for Puerto Rico, the U.S. island territory devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The tropical cyclone is expected to be a hurricane by the time it moves northwest across Puerto Rico on Wednesday and plows into the Dominican Republic, according to projections of the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley told islanders to avoid unnecessary risks while the storm bore down.
A woman purchases bottled water from a local grocery store as Tropical Storm Dorian approaches in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo
"Those who do not need to go on the road or do not work in areas that are essential, unless you are going to get a last-minute something to prepare yourself, there's no sense in going on the road," Mottley told local radio.
Mottley's government called for a near-total shutdown of the island on Monday morning, going back on its initial decision to be open for business until noon. Barbados Meteorological Services warned of flash flooding in a report.
Scattered showers connected to Dorian began falling in Barbados on Monday morning.
A group of people walk on the beach in the tourist zone of Boqueron as Tropical Storm Dorian approaches in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo
Dorian will most likely bring tropical storm conditions to the Windward Islands late on Monday and move into the eastern Caribbean Sea on Tuesday before churning toward Puerto Rico.
Early on Monday evening, Dorian was about 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Barbados, blowing maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour (97 kph), the NHC said.
"Dorian could be near hurricane strength when it passes through the northern Windward Islands on Tuesday, and it is expected to be a hurricane when it moves near Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola," the Miami-based NHC said in a statement.
A lifesaver is seen on a wooden dock as Tropical Storm Dorian approaches in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo
A storm becomes a hurricane when top sustained winds reach 74 mph (119 kph).
Tropical storm warnings are in effect for Barbados, Martinique, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the NHC said.
A man purchases bottled water from a local grocery store as Tropical Storm Dorian approaches in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo
(Reporting by Robert Edison Sandiford in Bridgetown and Harshith Aranya in Bengaluru; Additional reporting and writing by Rebekah F Ward in Mexico City; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Peter Cooney)
Nearly empty shelves where bottled water is normally displayed, are shown at a grocery store as Tropical Storm Dorian approaches in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo ArduengoA man buys bottled water in preparation for the arrival of Tropical Storm Dorian at a supermarket in Gros Islet, St. Lucia August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Andrea de SilvaA woman purchases bottled water from a local grocery store as Tropical Storm Dorian approaches in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo ArduengoA group of people have dinner in front of a seafood restaurant in the tourist zone of Boqueron as Tropical Storm Dorian approaches in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo ArduengoA boat races to the dock after sunset as Tropical Storm Dorian approaches in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo ArduengoA man buys bottled water in preparation for the arrival of Tropical Storm Dorian at a supermarket in Gros Islet, St. Lucia August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Andrea de SilvaIrish tourist Colin Rafferty buys bottled water in preparation for the arrival of Tropical Storm Dorian at a supermarket in Gros Islet, St. Lucia August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Andrea de SilvaEmpty shelves that are normally filled with bread are seen at a supermarket in preparation for the arrival of Tropical Storm Dorian in Gros Islet, St. Lucia August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Andrea de SilvaPeople buy bottled water in preparation for the arrival of Tropical Storm Dorian at a supermarket in Gros Islet, St. Lucia August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Andrea de SilvaShoppers preparing for the arrival of Tropical Storm Dorian load a vehicle with bottled water outside a supermarket in Bridgetown, Barbados August 25, 2019. REUTERS/Nigel R BrowneShoppers preparing for the arrival of Tropical Storm Dorian crowd a supermarket in Bridgetown, Barbados August 25, 2019. REUTERS/Nigel R Browne Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley speaks with children as an excavator prepares the beach for the arrival of Tropical Storm Dorian in Speightstown, Barbados August 25, 2019. REUTERS/Nigel R Browne
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