Omar Spurs Caribbean Hurricane Warnings

Hurricane warnings were posted Wednesday for several islands in the Eastern Caribbean Sea as Hurricane Omar gathered strength, U.S. forecasters said.

A hurricane warning was in effect for St. Martin, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barthelemy, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, St. Kitts and Nevis and the islands of Vieques and Culebra.

A hurricane watch remained in effect for Puerto Rico, and forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said that would likely be upgraded to a hurricane warning later Wednesday.

The center said Omar was 285 miles south-southwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, moving toward the northeast near 7 mph at 5 a.m.

The storm had sustained winds of 75 mph, and strengthening was forecast in the next 24 hours. Hurricane-force winds extended outwards 15 miles, and tropical storm-force winds spread 105 miles from the center, forecasters said.

The forecasters warned the various islands could see as much as 12 inches of rainfall that could produce flash flooding and landslides. The center also warned of large swells that could cause beach erosion and damage to coastal structures.