MIAMI – Tropical Storm Alex, the first so-called storm in the Atlantic hurricane season, gained a little more momentum as it headed for Bermuda on Sunday after killing three people in Cuba and causing part flooding. of Florida.
Alex reached tropical storm strength early Sunday morning after strengthening on the east coast of Florida early Sunday morning.
Hurricane National Center meteorologists said at 2 a.m. EST (1800 GMT) that Alex’s sustained maximum winds had increased to 65 mph (105 km / h) and were centered at about 475 miles (765 km). to the west-southwest of Bermuda.
It was moving east-northeast at a speed of 23 mph (37 km / h) and was expected to pass near or just north of Bermuda on Monday and there was a tropical storm warning. Meteorologists said it could bring 2 to 3 inches (50 to 75 mm) of rain to Bermuda on Sunday afternoon and Monday.
Homeland Security Minister Michael Weeks said emergency services were overseeing Alex.
In Cuba, the storm killed three people, damaged dozens of homes in Havana and cut off electricity in some areas, according to authorities. Heavy rains continued on Saturday, but were declining as the weather system moved away from the island.
Parts of South Florida were flooded by heavy rain and wind on Saturday. Miami officials warned drivers of road conditions as many cars were trapped on flooded streets.
“This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. It is not recommended to travel in these conditions. It is better to wait. Turn around, do not drown,” tweeted the city of Miami.
The city was towing stranded vehicles from the flooded roads.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said the storm tested the city’s recently installed drainage pump system, as climate change has made flooding a growing problem. in the lower area.
“We got the water out pretty quickly, but in some areas it was obviously very difficult,” Gelber said. “There were problems going through some streets, one of the main arteries was impassable, but overall the water is dissipating.”
Alex partially recovered from the wreckage of Hurricane Agatha, which hit the Pacific coast of Mexico last week, killing at least nine people and leaving five missing.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on Tuesday. This is an unusually early start to the stormy season, but not without precedent for Florida.
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This story corrects that the storm formed in the Atlantic, not the Gulf of Mexico, and also fixes the official death toll in Mexico reduced to nine.