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Hurricane Dean track
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A Tropical Storm watch was issued for the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, and St. Maarten. Hurricane watches were in effect for the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe and its dependencies, Saba and St. Eustaties as Hurricane Dean approaches the region.
Hurricane Dean, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, at 8 a.m. centered about 415 miles east of Barbados and about 510 miles east of Martinique, according to the Hurricane Center. It was moving west near 24 mph, and was expected to continue the same path for the next 24 hours.
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Hurricane Dean (Photo: NOAA)
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The National Hurricane Center said it predicted waves at 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels near the center of Dean and total possible rainfalls of 7 inches in mountainous areas.
Hurricane force winds of at least 74 mph extended up to 25 miles from the center of the storm, and tropical storm force winds of at least 39 mph extended up to 70 miles.
Islands near the hurricane's path could suffer wind damage and flooding from the storm, which could drop 2 to 5 inches of rain, forecasters said.
Forecasters said it was too early to say which island would catch the brunt of the storm early Friday as it passes from the Atlantic over the Lesser Antilles
The Hurricane Center said Dean would likely be a dangerous Category 3 hurricane with winds of about 115 mph by early Saturday.
