Thousands evacuate as powerful Emily nears Jamaica

Thousands of Jamaicans took refuge in schools and churches yesterday and troops patrolled the streets for looters as dangerous hurricane Emily roared toward the Caribbean island.

Emily's top winds reached 140 mph, making it a Category 4 storm on the five-stage hurricane scale, capable of causing major damage to buildings.

The storm was expected to move within about 100 km off Jamaica's south coast later in the day, likely meaning hurricane-force winds and a pounding storm surge for vulnerable lowlands along the shore.

Thousands of people moved from their homes in the flood-prone town of Portmore, just outside Kingston, and other areas that have been swamped in past hurricanes. But some stubborn residents refused to leave the old pirate town of Port Royal, located on a narrow spit of land south of Kingston.

"They say that a hurricane is coming, but I hear that all the time and little or nothing happens," said Port Royal resident Cecil Barham, 42. "I am willing to take my chances again by staying right here at home."

Much of Port Royal, a bawdy haven for the legendary pirates of the Spanish Main four centuries ago, was cast into the sea by an earthquake in 1692.

The new threat from Emily came as Jamaica was tallying the damage from hurricane Dennis, which killed one person when it swept along the north shore on July 7. Dennis killed 70 other people in Haiti, Cuba and the United States.

At 8 a.m. EDT (2 p.m. Malta time), the centre of Emily was about 225 km south-southeast of Kingston and was moving to the west-northwest at about 30 km/h, the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami said.

Emily had weakened dramatically on Friday as its maximum sustained winds dropped to 170 km/h. But it grew again yesterday with top winds of 225 km/h.

In additional to Jamaica, storm warnings were in effect for the Cayman Islands and the south coast of Haiti. Forecasters said Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula would probably be under a storm watch later yesterday.

The hurricane centre's long-range forecast had the storm reaching Yucatan late today, crossing the Gulf of Mexico and striking near the Texas-Mexico border early on Wednesday.

Forecasters said Emily could drop 13 to 20 cm of rain on Jamaica and 38 cm in the mountains, raising the prospect of deadly flash floods and mudslides.

Jamaican authorities sent hundreds of troops and police into the streets to prevent looting, a problem in past hurricanes.

Some residents refuse to leave their homes, putting their lives in danger during big storms, because they fear losing their possessions to looters.

Emily threatened Jamaica after slamming Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday and Thursday.

Grenada, still trying to pick up the pieces after the devastating passage of hurricane Ivan last September, sustained more damage to houses and hospitals and one person was killed in a mudslide.