Hurricane Gordon brings strong winds, rain to Portugal's Azores
Pastor Dale Morgan
Hurricane Gordon brings strong winds, rain to Portugal's Azores*
LISBON, Sept 20 (AFP) Sep 20, 2006
Strong winds and rain were lashing parts of the mid-Atlantic Azores
archipelago as Hurricane Gordon brushed the western edge of the
Portuguese territory early on Wednesday, the weather office said.
The storm was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane by the time it passed
just south of Flores and Corvo, the two westernmost islands in the
nine-island chain which is home to some 240,000 people.
Authorities reported no injuries or damage.
Forecasters said the five central islands of the archipelago -- Faial,
Pico, Sao Jorge, Terceira and Sao Miguel -- would take the brunt of the
storm when it hits them later on Wednesday.
Residents in the five islands were told to brace for wind gusts of up to
150 kilometres (90 miles) an hour, waves of up to 12 metres (40 feet)
and up to 80 millimetres (3.2 inches) of rain.
The weather office removed its red alert for Flores and Corvo, which
were spared the full effects of the storm after it swept further south
than had been expected, but kept its highest alert level in place for
the remaining seven islands.
The president of the regional government of the Azores, Carlos Cesar,
said emergency services were ready to handle the effects of the storm.
"All the mechanisms and means at our disposal have been activated," he
told reporters late Tuesday on the island of Sao Miguel after an
emergency government meeting to discuss hurricane preparations, the Lusa
news reported.
Local authorities ordered schools to be shut and fishermen to stay on
land on Wednesday, and boosted the number of emergency personnel on
call, because of the storm.
Three ports on the island of Terceirca, which is home to a US air force
base, and one port on the island of Graciosa closed late Tuesday because
of the expected huge waves, maritime officials said.
Residents were advised to close doors and windows, clear storm sewers,
move livestock to safe areas, lock away farm equipment and garbage bins
and move boats inland ahead of the arrival of the storm.
A Category 1 storm on the five-step Saffir Simpson scale of hurricane
intensity causes damage primarily to unanchored mobile homes, trees and
piers as well as flooding in coastal and low-lying areas.
Gordon had initially been expected to hit the Azores, located about
1,200 kilometres (750 miles) west of mainland Portugal, as a Category 2
hurricane but it lost strength as it moved over colder waters towards
the islands.
Major hurricanes are those Category 3 and higher.
Tropical storms often pass near the Azores islands, but direct hits by a
hurricane are rare.
Forecasters expect Gordon will eventually be absorbed by a larger
weather system which was expected to approach northwestern Portugal and
Spain on Thursday, bringing with it heavy rain and strong winds to the
two countries.