TROPICAL STORM IRIS APPROACHING THE SOUTH COAST OF HAITI HEADING TOWARD JAMAICA; NEW TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMS EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS October 6, 2001 At 11 a.m. EDT,
the center of Tropical Storm Iris was located near latitude 16.7
north, longitude 71.2 west or about 65 miles south-southeast
of Cabo Beata in the Barahona peninsula, Dominican Republic.
Iris is moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph. On this
track the center of Iris will be passing close to the south coast
of Haiti Saturday, and will be near Jamaica early Sunday. Maximum
sustained winds remain near 65 mph with higher gusts. Iris could
become a hurricane Saturday night or Sunday, according to NOAA's National Hurricane Center.
(Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Tropical Storm
Iris and Tropical Depression Twelve taken Oct. 6, 2001 at 11:15
a.m. EDT. Click
here to see latest satellite image.) Coastal storm surge flooding of 4 to 5 feet above normal tide levels along with dangerous battering waves can be expected along portions of the southern coast of Hispaniola Saturday. Outer rain bands are spreading over Hispaniola. Rainfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches with isolated higher amounts can be expected near the path of Iris. The government of Jamaica issued
a hurricane warning for Jamaica, and the government of Cuba issued
a hurricane warning for eastern Cuba for the provinces of Granma,
Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo. In addition, the government
of the Cayman Islands issued a hurricane watch for the Cayman
Islands. NOAA satellite images indicate the area of low pressure in the Atlantic has become better organized and is now Tropical Depression Twelve. At 11 a.m. EDT, the center of the newly-formed tropical depression was located near latitude 11.2 north, longitude 51.1 west or about 740 miles east-southeast of the Windward Islands. The depression is moving toward
the west-northwest near 14 mph, and this motion is expected to
continue during the next 24 hours. All interests in the Leeward Islands should monitor the progress of this system. For storm information for specific
areas of the USA, please monitor products issued by NOAA's
National Weather Service local forecast offices. Click NOAA tracking map for larger view. Relevant Web Sites
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