BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AS the 2010 hurricane season heats up a number of hurricanes are making their way to the Caribbean, some islands hit real hard while others barely felt a squeeze.
So far, Earl and Fiona have passed through St. Kitts leaving slight damages here and there but another Tropical Storm is making its way slowly to the Caribbean.
Tropical Storm Gaston, the seventh named storm of this Atlantic hurricane season on Thursday was churning west in the Central Atlantic on a path that could take it into the Caribbean Sea.
According to reports by the U.S. National Hurricane Center in its latest advisory Gaston is expected to strengthen gradually over the next 48 hours and could become a hurricane by Sunday or Monday.
As of late yesterday afternoon, (September 1) the storm was located about 1,550 miles (2,495 km) east of the Lesser Antilles, moving west at nine miles per hour with maximum sustained winds unchanged from late Wednesday at about 40mph.
In August of 2004 Hurricane Gaston, a minimal hurricane made landfall in South Carolina. It then crossed North Carolina and Virginia before exiting to the northeast and dissipating. The storm killed nine people and caused $USD130 million in damages.
Gaston will be the third storm that makes its way through the Leeward Islands in one week.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is advising residents to take all necessary precautions as the hurricane season continues.
