• Submitted by: manso
• Society
• 11 / 01 / 2010

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By the CNN Wire Staff. October 31, 2010 -- Updated 2111 GMT (0511 HKT). Miami, Florida (CNN) -- A weakened Hurricane Tomas was churning in the Caribbean Sunday after pounding the island of St. Vincent with gusty winds and heavy rain, the National Hurricane Center said.

As of 5 p.m. ET Sunday, the center of Tomas was located about 265 miles (425 kilometers) west of St. Lucia and about 290 miles (465 kilometers) south-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to the Miami, Florida-based Hurricane Center. It was moving west at about 12 mph (19 kph).

Tomas was a Category 2 storm earlier Sunday, but decreased to Category 1 intensity. Its maximum sustained winds were at 75 mph (120 kph) Sunday afternoon. It was expected to weaken further over the next day, followed by little change in strength Monday night and Tuesday, forecasters said.

More than 1,000 people entered shelters on St. Vincent as Tomas struck the island, an emergency official said. Two people were injured, one critically, when they tried to go out and repair roof damage during the storm, said Michelle Forbes, acting director of National Emergency Management.

Tomas was forecast to continue heading west over the next couple of days. Tracking maps show it turning north on Thursday, then approaching Haiti on Friday, possibly as a Category 2 hurricane. Tomas could deal a harsh blow to Haiti, as the impoverished nation is still recovering from a devastating earthquake in January and is currently dealing with a cholera outbreak.

However, forecasts for four to five days in the future have average errors of 250 to 300 miles, according to CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward. "Tomas could still hit anywhere from the Dominican Republic to eastern Cuba," Ward said.

As Tomas headed into open water, all watches and warnings associated with the storm were canceled. The Hurricane Center said it could dump an additional 1 to 2 inches on portions of the Windward and southern Leeward Islands through Sunday night.

Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 15 miles (30 kilometers) from the center, and tropical storm-force winds extended outward up to 150 miles (240 kilometers).

On St. Vincent, Tomas left downed trees blocking many roads, Forbes said, and large areas of the island lacked power. More than 100 homes sustained roof damage, she said, and authorities expect the number to rise.

The main hospital on the island, Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, lost power temporarily but was able to get a generator up and running, according to Forbes.

Earlier, as a tropical storm, Tomas damaged homes and downed power lines in Barbados, according to the Hurricane Center.

CNN Radio's Matt Cherry contributed to this report.

Source: CNN