Cayman Islands braced on Friday for Hurricane Paloma, a strengthening storm expected to make landfall within hours.
Paloma grew into a Category 3 storm Friday evening with winds near 185 km/h, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Centre in Miami. It said the storm is expected to keep growing as it nears the affluent British territory.
The government has drawn up evacuation plans for residents in low-lying areas and coastal regions.
"We have asked everybody to come off the streets and to be home and safe right now," said hazard management director Barbara Carby.
The Cayman Islands government asked all hotels to remove guests from the ground and first floors.
Rainfall up to 15 inches was expected over parts of the Cayman Islands and its national weather service forecast waves rising up to 30 feet, which would cause dangerous coastal storm surges.
Water service across Grand Cayman was turned off, and power likely will be cut as the storm nears, hazard management director Barbara Carby said.
"We have asked everybody to come off the streets and to be home and safe right now," she said.
Stranded tourists watched dark clouds gather from their hotels or beachfront restaurants.
"It was a real surprise," said Rick Douglas, a 50-year-old from Toronto who checked weather Web sites before flying to the Caribbean. "It just said there was a tropical depression starting, but I didn't think it would turn into anything serious."
His wife, Susan Douglas, was confident they would be safe as long as they follow orders. "Grand Cayman has been there and done that, so they are prepared," she said.
The government has also ordered the airport closed, Tourism Minister Charles Clifford said Friday, adding that extra flights were added Thursday for those looking to leave.
"I hope I'm right, but I don't think this will be a major event," said Clifford.
The centre of the storm was about 50 kilometres south of Grand Cayman, the largest of the islands, at 7 p.m. ET. It is expected to reach Grand Cayman later Friday or early Saturday before hitting the coast of central Cuba by Saturday afternoon, the forecaster said in an advisory.
Still recovering from the havoc wreaked late in the summer by hurricanes Gustav and Ike, Cuba could be hit even harder than the Caymans.
The storm appeared to be en route to the central-eastern city of Camaguey, which was badly battered by Hurricane Ike in September.
Cuban official newspaper Granma said Friday that Paloma poses "a potential danger for the island." A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch are in effect for several Cuban provinces.
Cuba's government has deployed the early stages of its civil defence system, advising people in central and eastern parts of the country to be prepared to evacuate should conditions worsen.
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