From: Cecile de Jongh To: Ann Rodriquez >, J E [email protected]> Subject: Fwd: US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Under Hurricane Watch as Ganzalo Strengthens Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 22:23:32 +0000 With warm regards, Cecile de Jongh Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: "VITEMA" <VITEMA®vialert.g> Date: October 12, 2014 at 5:42:10 PM AST To: Subject: US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Under Hurricane Watch as Ganzalo Strengthens Alert / Warning Meteorological - SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT ...This is an ACTUAL SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT ALERT.. Issued By: VITEMA Affected Jurisdictions: St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, Water Island Counties Headline: US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Under Hurricane Watch as Ganzalo Strengthens A Hurricane Watch has been issued for the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico and its surrounding islands as Gonzalo continues to strengthen just a few hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands. A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area.According to the National Hurricane Center, at 5 p.m., the center of Tropical Storm Gonzalo was located at was located near Latitude 16.4 degrees north, Longitude 59.5 degrees west. Gonzalo is moving toward the west near 12 miles per hour and this general motion is expected to continue through Monday followed by a turn toward the west- northwest Monday night. On the forecast track, Gonzalo is expected to move through the central Leeward Islands by early Monday morning and approach the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Monday night and Tuesday morning. Reports from an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 45 miles per hour with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours and Gonzalo is expected to become a hurricane by early Tuesday morning. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center. EFTA00998483