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NEW: Tomas weakens to a Category 1 stormNEW: Watches and warnings have been canceled2 people injured in St. VincentForecasters think Tomas will become Category 3 storm
Miami, Florida (CNN) -- A weakened Hurricane Tomas was heading into open Caribbean waters on Sunday after pounding the island of St. Vincent with gusty winds and heavy rain, the National Hurricane Center said.
More than 1,000 people entered shelters as Tomas dealt a blow to the island, an emergency official said. Two people were injured, one critically, when they tried to go out and repair roof damage during the storm, said Michelle Forbes, acting director of National Emergency Management.
As of 11 a.m. Sunday, the center of Tomas was located about 180 miles (290 kilometers) west of St. Lucia and about 345 miles (550 kilometers) south-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to the Miami, Florida-based Hurricane Center. It was moving west-northwest at about 9 mph (15 kph).
Tomas had weakened from a Category 2 to a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of about 90 mph (150 kph), forecasters said. Some additional weakening was expected Sunday, followed by little change in strength Monday and Tuesday.
Its general motion was expected to continue through Sunday night, followed by a western turn on Monday. "Tomas is forecast to move across the eastern Caribbean Sea during the next couple of days," the Hurricane Center said.
As Tomas headed into open water, all watches and warnings associated with the storm were canceled. However, tracking maps show the storm heading west and re-intensifying into a Category 2 by Wednesday, then turning north toward Haiti as a Category 3 storm. It could deal a harsh blow to Haiti, as the impoverished nation is still recovering from a devastating earthquake in January and is currently dealing with a cholera outbreak.
On St. Vincent, Tomas left downed trees blocking many roads, Forbes said, and large areas of the island lacked power. More than 100 homes sustained roof damage, she said, and authorities expect the number to rise.
The main hospital on the island, Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, lost power temporarily but was able to get a generator up and running, according to Forbes.
Earlier, as a tropical storm, Tomas damaged homes and downed power lines in Barbados, according to the Hurricane Center.
Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 40 miles (65 kilometers) from the storm's center, with tropical storm-force winds extending outward 175 miles (280 kilometers). CNN Radio's Matt Cherry contributed to this report.View the original article here
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