Fears parts of Puerto Rico could be without power for months once fast-developing category 5 storm hits

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

States of emergency have been declared as Hurricane Irma grew into a category 5 storm that is forecast to begin buffeting the Caribbean on Tuesday.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 130mph (215km/h) on Monday afternoon, and the US National Hurricane Center said they were expected to become stronger. Irma at the time was 490 miles (790km) east of the Leeward Islands and moving west at 13mph (20km/h).

Emergency officials have warned the storm could dump up to 10 inches (25cm) of rain, unleash landslides and flash floods and generate waves of up to 23ft (seven metres).

“We’re looking at Irma as a very significant event,” said Ronald Jackson, executive director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. “I can’t recall a tropical cone developing that rapidly into a major hurricane prior to arriving in the central Caribbean.”

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On Monday, economically struggling Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard. Florida has followed suit. The hurricane center expects Irma to reach southern Florida on Saturday and US residents were urged to monitor the storm’s progress in case it affects Georgia or the Carolinas.

Evan Myers, chief operating officer of AccuWeather, said: “This hurricane has the potential to be a major event for the east coast. It also has the potential to significantly strain Fema [US Federal Emergency Management Agency] and other governmental resources occurring so quickly on the heels of [Hurricane] Harvey.”

Irma will be the second powerful hurricane to hit the US and its territories in as many weeks. Residents in Texas and Louisiana are still reeling from the catastrophic effects of the Hurricane Harvey, which struck Texas as a category 4 hurricane on 25 August and dumped several feet of rain, destroying thousands of homes and businesses.

Ricardo Ramos, the director of Puerto Rico’s power company, predicted the storm could leave some areas of the US territory without electricity for four to six months.

The power company’s system has deteriorated greatly amid Puerto Rico’s decade-long recession, and the territory experienced an islandwide outage last year.

Governor Ricardo Rossello, echoed the concerns, saying: “It’s no secret that the infrastructure of the Puerto Rico Power Authority is deteriorated.” Rossello has activated the National Guard, cancelled school for Tuesday and declared a half-day of work.

“Despite the economic challenges Puerto Rico is facing, the approved budget has $15m for the emergency fund,” he added in a statement. The island of about 3.4 million people has 456 emergency shelters prepared to house up to 62,100 people.

To help residents prepare for the storm, the Puerto Rican government activated a price freeze on basic necessities, including food and water, medicines, power generators and batteries. Telemundo TV station WIPR in Puerto Rico showed long lines of shoppers stocking up on bottled water, flashlights, batteries, generators, food and other items.

Meteorologist Roberto Garcia warned that Puerto Rico could experience hurricane-like conditions in the next 48 hours should the storm’s path shift. “Any deviation, which is still possible, could bring even more severe conditions to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands,” Garcia said.

Meanwhile, the governor of the British Virgin Islands urged people on Anegada island to leave if they could, noting that Irma’s eye was expected to pass 35 miles (56km) from the capital of Road Town.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Customers in Puerto Rico walk near empty shelves that are normally filled with bottles of water. The governor has declared a price freeze on basic necessities. Photograph: Alvin Baez/Reuters

Both Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands expected 4 to 8 inches (10-20cm) of rain and winds of 40-50mph with gusts of up to 60mph.

Virgin Islands governor Kenneth Mapp said most hotels there were at capacity with some 5,000 tourists. He noted the storm was expected to pass 40 miles (64km) north of St Thomas and warned that the island could experience sustained winds as high as 80mph (130km/h).

“It’s not a lot of distance,” he said, adding: “It could affect us in a tremendous way. I’m not saying that to alarm anyone or scare anyone, but I want the Virgin Islands to be prepared.”

Antigua and Anguilla shuttered schools on Monday, and government office closures were expected to follow.

A hurricane warning was issued for Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Martin, Saba, St Eustatius, St Maarten and St Barts. A hurricane watch was in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, the British and US Virgin islands and Guadeloupe. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Guadeloupe and a tropical storm watch for Dominica.

Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.