Caribbean islands may avoid Hurricane Omar

Islands in the north Caribbean remain on alert over Hurricane Omar but could escape being hit by the category-three storm, forecasters said today.

Latest observations show the hurricane quickly moving away from the northern Leeward Islands and out to sea.

The storm's top speed increased today to 125 mph (205 kph). But Omar is expected to weaken as it continues on a path unlikely to directly hit any Caribbean island. Forecasters say it is likely to weave through the US and British Virgin Islands on one side, and territories including Anguilla on the other.

"It could thread the needle, but any kind of track deviation and any of those islands will be clobbered," said Jack Beven of the US national hurricane centre in Miami.

The hurricane yesterday sank boats in St Croix harbour, flattening trees and trapping people in their homes before it moved on toward other small islands.

"No damages have been reported, but we have a couple more hours of this," Jacqueline Heyliger, deputy director of the island's emergency management agency, said.

On the nearby Puerto Rican island of Vieques, the storm flooded roads and brought down tree branches.

One death was reported on Puerto Rico's tiny island of Culebra. Authorities said a 55-year-old man collapsed from cardiac arrest while trying to install storm shutters on his house.