Tropical Storm Chantal 2013 Path to Smash Haiti, Dominican Republic Before Hitting Cuba, Florida (Map, Update, Video)
Tropical Storm Chantal 2013 is set to continue on its north-west path this week and could slam Haiti and the Dominican Republic on Wednesday.
The Tropical Storm is weakening somewhat but it still poses significant problems for the region, according to experts tracking Chantal.
Even though the storm has weakened and may only hit the Caribbean with sustained wind speeds of 29 mph, the biggest danger appears to come from the huge levels of rainfall the system may dump on the region.
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Experts have claimed that Haiti and the Dominican Republic should expect up to 10 inches of rain in some areas, which could spark flash flooding and cause widespread damage.
Tropical Storm Chantal's tracking map indicates that the system will move through Haiti and the Dominican Republic on Wednesday before hitting Cuba on Thursday. It is then predicted the system could take a hard turn to the north and skirt with the Florida coastline on Friday and Saturday.
On Wednesday morning the tropical storm was about 140 miles (225 km) south of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Sustained wind speeds had already decreased to about 45 mph, according to weather experts, who expect the storm to continue to degenerate.
On Wednesday, tropical storm warnings remain in effect across numerous areas, including the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas.
Rain accumulations of between three to six inches are expected over Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the southeastern Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, according to the National Hurricane Center. Over Hispaniola, there could be as much as 10 inches of rainfall.
Storm surges are another potential danger as Tropical Storm Chantal enters the region, and water levels near the coast of some areas are expected to rise as much as 1 to 2 feet above normal tide levels.
Locals in the areas are advised to stay away from the coast, and dangerous waves are expected to arrive with the storm system.
Here is a video report into the latest from Tropical Storm Chantal 2013 on Wednesday morning:
