Tropical Storm Omar grows in Caribbean, Nana gone - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Tropical Storm Omar grows in Caribbean, Nana gone
14 Oct 2008 21:54:05 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Updates position, strength, adds details)

By Jim Loney

MIAMI, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Omar grew quickly
to near-hurricane strength on Tuesday, threatening Puerto Rico
and the small islands of the northeastern Caribbean with flash
floods as a new tropical system churned off Central America.

Omar, the 15th tropical storm of the Atlantic season, formed
north of the Netherlands Antilles island of Curacao and revved
up over warm Caribbean waters to a 70-mile-per-hour (113-km
per hour) cyclone, just under the threshold for a hurricane,
the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Omar could be a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson
intensity scale, with winds of at least 96 mph (155 kph), by
the time it reaches the northern islands, forecasters said.

-snip-

Omar was moving on a track that would take it over the northern
Leeward Islands on Wednesday night. Forecasters said it could
produce up to 20 inches (51 cm) of rain, which could trigger
life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.

While Omar menaced Puerto Rico, a tropical depression developed
just off Honduras.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N14253229.htm