Severe Storm brings heavy rains/floods to Puerto Rico*

    * Story Highlights
    * Subtropical Storm Olga may cause flooding in Haiti, Dominican Republic
    * Storm skirts northern Puerto Rico, drenching U.S. commonwealth
    * Forecaster says it's unusual to have subtropical storm so late in
season

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Heavy rains from Subtropical Storm Olga drenched
Puerto Rico on Tuesday, while the Dominican Republic braced for a hit by
reopening hurricane shelters more than a week after the official end of
hurricane season.

A satellite image shows Subtropical Storm Olga at 10:30 a.m. ET Tuesday.

The storm skirted Puerto Rico's northern coast overnight with maximum
sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph), causing blackouts that left 76,000
people without power.

Forecasters said up to six inches (15 centimeters) of rain is expected
to fall over Hispaniola, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican
Republic.

At 10 a.m. ET Tuesday, Olga was centered near the eastern tip of the
Dominican Republic, about 130 miles (205 kilometers) east of Santo
Domingo, the capital, and was moving west, the National Hurricane Center
said.

"It is unusual since the season does end officially on November 30,"
said meteorologist Hugh Cobb. "However, in recent years we have seen
quite a few December cyclones."

The Atlantic hurricane season had 14 named storms, including six
hurricanes.