MIAMI (AP) -- Emergency officials in the Cayman Islands say they haven't received any reports of injuries and there's only minimal damage. Paloma made landfall in southern Cuba as Category 4 storm. It has since weakened to a Category 3 storm.
Cuba already is suffering from Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, which struck the island earlier this season and together caused an estimated $9.4 billion in damage. Nearly a third of Cuba's crops were destroyed, causing widespread shortages of fresh produce.
Hurricane Paloma's Position at 10 p.m.
- Position: 20.9 N, 77.7 W
- Distance from Camaguey, Cuba: 35 miles southwest
- Movement: 7 mph northeast
- Winds: 115 mph
- Minimum Central Pressure: 968 mb (28.58 inches)
10 p.m. Hurricane Paloma Advisory
This is the latest advisory on Hurricane Paloma from the National Hurricane Center. The next advisory will be at 4 a.m.
The center of Hurricane Paloma was located near latitude 20.9 north, longitude 77.7 west or about 35 miles south-southeast of Camaguey, Cuba and about 75 miles north of Cabo Cruz.
Paloma is moving toward the northeast near 7 mph. This general motion, accompanied by a decrease in forward speed, is expected through Sunday. On the forecast track, the center of Paloma is expected to be approaching the Atlantic coast of east-central Cuba late Sunday morning and be nearing the central Bahamas Sunday night or on Monday.
Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 115 mph with higher gusts. Paloma is a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Steady weakening is expected for the next day or two, especially as Paloma moves across Cuba Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles. Unofficial reports from amateur/ham radio operators around Santa Cruz del Sur and in Camaguey province Cuba indicate sustained winds of 95 mph with gusts to 155 mph may have occurred in the area during the past couple of hours. This has resulted in widespread communications outages, including at least one communications tower having been blown down.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 968 mb or 28.59 inches.
Dangerous storm surge flooding of 13 to 18 feet, accompanied by large and dangerous battering waves, will be possible near and to the east of Santa Cruz del Sur along the southeast Caribbean coast of Cuba.
Paloma is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 5 to 10 inches over central and eastern Cuba, with isolated maximum totals of 20 inches possible. These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides. Five to ten inches of rain are possible over the central Bahamas.
The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 4 a.m. EST.
Need help getting ready for a hurricane? News 13 on Demand, Bright House Networks Digital Cable Channel 313 has a Hurricane Center filled with vital information on what you can do to prepare for a storm. In the Severe Weather section, News 13's meteorologists show you how to be safe when a storm strikes.
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