Hurricane Jose Slams Antigua, Threatens Nearby Islands

Hurricane Jose ripped roofs from houses, tore down a newly built church and flung debris through deserted streets Wednesday as it hit Antigua head-on and threatened a string of other Caribbean islands.

Storm-weary islanders in neighboring St. Kitts, where a few homes remain roofless from last year’s devastating hurricane season, braced themselves as Jose bore down packing 100-mph winds and drenching rain.

“It’s projected to move right across the Leeward Islands. All of them are within the direct line of the storm--Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Eustatius, St. Martin, Anguilla,” said meteorologist Bill Frederick of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Jose was expected to hit the British Virgin Islands before veering to the north, a turn that would save the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The Bahamas were also on hurricane alert.

The storm destroyed a newly built Baptist church in the south of Antigua, a radio report said. Prime Minister Lester Bird was expected to dispatch security forces as soon as the storm subsided to prevent looting, the radio said.

In St. Kitts, dozens of tourists tried to flee the hurricane, but airlines began canceling flights late Tuesday and the airport closed Wednesday. People shopping for emergency supplies crowded stores until they closed at midmorning.

In the afternoon, the hurricane smashed power lines, causing electricity outages in the capital, Basseterre.

The island’s sole hospital discharged several patients, sent home all but essential staff and moved seriously ill patients into a hurricane-resistant building.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, Gov. Charles Turnbull announced a curfew from 6 p.m. Wednesday until further notice. Shops and offices closed at noon.

Meanwhile, in Hurricane Irene-battered North Carolina, the Tar River crested Wednesday for the fourth time in two months as more rain fell across the eastern part of the state and residents kept a close watch on Hurricane Jose.