Hurricane Paloma became an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm Saturday morning, raising the specter of destroyed buildings, downed trees and flooded streets in the Cayman Islands, Cuba and beyond.The storm lashed Little Cayman and Cayman Brac -- two of three islands that make up the Cayman Islands -- with heavy rain and winds that howled at speeds of up to 135 mph (217 kph), the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, said.
Forecasters expect the storm to roar on toward Cuba, possibly strengthening Saturday morning before losing some steam later Saturday and Sunday.
At 5:30 a.m. ET Saturday, the storm's center was near Cayman Brac. It was 95 miles (152 kilometers) east-northeast of Grand Cayman and about 175 miles (281 kilometers) southwest of Camaguey, Cuba, the hurricane center said.
A Category 4 hurricane can blow down trees, tear off roofs, destroy mobile homes and cause major damage to the lower floors of structures near the shore. The strongest storms are Category 5 hurricanes.
Source: http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=hurricane-paloma-eyes-cuba-as-it-be-2008-11-08
