PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos – Hundreds of islanders fled to higher ground in the Turks and Caicos on Wednesday as Hurricane Frances hit the Caribbean nation with damaging winds and stinging rains. The powerful storm was headed for the Bahamas, where residents scurried to buy supplies.
Frances was already a dangerous Category 4 hurricane, its 140-mph winds bolstered by even stronger gusts, and forecasters said the storm could grow even more powerful. They said Florida, still cleaning up after Hurricane Charley, was a “prime candidate” to be hit as early as Friday.
The storm moved over the Turks and Caicos, drenching the islands. Power was knocked out on Grand Turk Island Wednesday afternoon, with power lines and trees down, said Turks and Caicos Fire Chief Chris Gannon. Emergency workers rescued one woman from her home after the roof blew off.
“Unfortunately, a lot of communities are not taking this seriously,” Gannon said. “If we get through this without any loss of life, it will be a miracle.”
Structural damage was reported on the territory’s low-lying islands, where many houses are made of wood or have tin roofs, Gannon said. Police were going door-to-door and making telephone calls to urge people to evacuate.
“I’ve never been in a hurricane before, so it should be exciting,” said Julie Dilling, 45, who was staying at a shelter with the rest of her scuba diving group from Fort Worth, Texas. “I suppose it just adds to the story.”
Residents were flocking to schools for shelter in Providenciales, the main population and commercial center of the Turks and Caicos, about 140 miles north of Haiti. Some hospital patients were also being moved to the shelters.
In the Bahamas, residents blocked the entrance to Chelsea’s Choice Water company in Nassau, grabbing bottles from trucks and offering a driver bribes for water. The company’s manager called police for help controlling the crowd.
About 200 nonemergency personnel and their family members working at the U.S. Embassy in Nassau and other U.S. government agencies in the Bahamas were being evacuated to the U.S. mainland, said Stacie Zerdecki, an embassy spokeswoman.
Residents in the storm’s path were putting up plywood on their windows. Others were buying emergency supplies and stocking up on bottled water and canned food.
“It’s been difficult keeping shelves stocked,” said Bruce Souder, managing director of City Markets in the Bahamas.
The Bahamian government was urging people in the southeastern islands to move to the larger islands, said Carl Smith, the national disaster coordinator. One of the most vulnerable islands was Great Inagua, with a population of about 600.
The Bahamian trade minister, Leslie Miller, threatened to revoke the licenses of any businesses that engage in price gouging. He said his agency has already been inundated with calls from people complaining of higher prices for plywood, light bulbs, batteries and water.
“We will shut you down,” Miller warned at a news conference.
“It is against the law to jack up prices in times of a national crisis,” Miller said.
Carnival Cruise Lines said it diverted four cruise ships. Royal Caribbean International said it rerouted at least three.
Associated Press
Contractor Brenton Rolle trims plywood while boarding up a shop Wednesday in Nassau, Bahamas, in preparation for Hurricane Frances.
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