MSGID: 1:317/3 6329ffd8   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   September 20, 2022 - Hurricane Fiona Batters the Caribbean   
      
      Fiona   
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      After a slow start to the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, powerful   
      Hurricane Fiona has brought destruction across the Caribbean, with   
      three landfalls in three days. Fiona first crossed Guadeloupe as a   
      tropical storm on September 16, then lashed Puerto Rico on September 18   
      as a Category 1 hurricane, almost five years to the day after Hurricane   
      Maria devastated the island. The third—and hopefully the last—landfall   
      was made over the Dominican Republic on September 19.   
      
      The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board   
      NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of Hurricane   
      Fiona on September 18 shortly before landfall over Puerto Rico. It was   
      the third Atlantic hurricane of the 2022 season.   
      
      Fiona came ashore in southwestern Puerto Rico around 3:20 p.m. EDT   
      (1920 UTC) on September 18. The storm’s maximum sustained winds reached   
      85 mph (135km/h) prior to landfall, placing it in Category 1 on the   
      Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Although the wind speed was not   
      catastrophic by itself, Hurricane Fiona moved very slowly, giving the   
      storm time to drop torrential rains and for the winds to consistently   
      batter the island. The hurricane dropped 1 to 2 feet (300 to 600   
      millimeters) of rain in numerous locations, and the persistent winds   
      took down trees, electric power lines, and roofs. Heavy rain fell on   
      some mountainous areas, causing at least ten rivers to swell to flood   
      stage, creating catastrophic and widespread flooding.   
      
      By midday on September 19, roughly 90 percent of customers on the   
      island were without electricity. Another 25 percent lacked access to   
      running water, according to news reports. Government agencies have   
      rescued at over 1,000 people from the floods and Puerto Rico Governor   
      Pedro Pierluisi was reported to have confirmed at least three people   
      had died in that state as a result of the hurricane. Prior to striking   
      Puerto Rico, Fiona was responsible for at least one death in   
      Guadeloupe, when it made landfall over that island at tropical storm   
      strength on September 16.   
      
      While Fiona’s trailing winds continued to pour rain on Puerto Rico, the   
      hurricane strengthened before making landfall near Boca de Yuma,   
      Dominican Republic at 3:30 a.m. EDT (0730 UTC) on September 19. At that   
      time, maximum sustained winds were clocked at 90 mph (150 mph), making   
      it a strong Category 1 hurricane. Early reports state that parts of   
      eastern Dominican Republic has suffered severe flooding, with 800   
      people sheltering away from their homes and more than 11,000 without   
      power.   
      
      After leaving the Dominican Republic, Fiona began to rapidly   
      strengthen. At 5:00 p.m. EDT (2100 UTC) on September 19, the National   
      Hurricane Center advised that maximum sustained winds had reached 100   
      mph (161 km/h), making it a Category 2 hurricane. By the 11:00 p.m. EDT   
      September 19 (0300 UTC September 20) advisory, maximum sustained winds   
      had leapt to 110 mph (177 km/h).   
      
      Forecasters are expecting the storm to brush close by the Turks &   
      Caicos Islands and bring tropical-storm-force-winds to the Bahamas   
      before turning north-northeast on September 20. Fiona is expected to   
      rapidly strengthen, likely to Category 4, strength late on September 20   
      as it moves away from land.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Terra   
      Date Acquired: 9/18/2022   
      Resolutions:  1km (529.3 KB),  500m (4.9 MB),  250m (4.9 MB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-09-20   
       
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