Puerto Rico

Sept 10 (Reuters) - Hurricane Lee has restrengthened as it churns west-northwest in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and is expected to bring dangerous surf and rip currents to the U.S. East Coast from Sunday night for at least a few days, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The storm, about 285 miles (455 km) northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, should pass north of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other Caribbean islands.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Lee charged through warm Atlantic waters on Friday and threatened to unleash heavy swells across the northeast Caribbean. It became the season’s first Category 5 storm before weakening slightly.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tropical Storm Lee strengthened into a hurricane on Wednesday as it churned through the open waters of the Atlantic on a path that would take it near the northeast Caribbean.

The hurricane was located about 1,130 miles (1,815 kilometers) east of the northern Leeward Islands. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 14 mph (22 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tropical Storm Cindy has formed behind Tropical Storm Bret, in the first case of two storms in the tropical Atlantic in June since record keeping began in 1851, forecasters said Friday.

The historic event signals an early and aggressive start to the Atlantic hurricane season that began on June 1 and that usually peaks from mid-August to mid-October. Some forecasters blamed unusually high sea temperatures for the rare development.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Gov. Pedro Pierluisi announced new solar energy initiatives on Tuesday during his annual state of the territory address, a speech viewed by many as critical as he fights plummeting ratings amid growing discontent over costly electric bills, government corruption and slow-moving hurricane reconstruction.

The more than hourlong speech and ceremony at the U.S. territory’s seaside Capitol was powered entirely by generators to avoid any potential interruptions given the ongoing instability of the island’s crumbling power grid.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. secretary of energy was scheduled to visit Puerto Rico Tuesday for the second time in less than two weeks as the island struggles with a crumbling power grid and constant power outages worsened by recent hurricanes.

During her last visit, Secretary Jennifer Granholm warned of numerous “critical failures” and the federal government pledged to help speed up reconstruction of the U.S. territory’s power grid, which was devastated by 2017’s Hurricane Maria.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. and Canada sent armored vehicles and other supplies to Haiti on Saturday to help police fight a powerful gang amid a pending request from the Haitian government for the immediate deployment of foreign troops.

A U.S. State Department statement said the equipment was bought by Haiti’s government, but it did not provide further details on the supplies flown on military aircraft to the capital of Port-au-Prince.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A nonprofit organization on Tuesday called on Haiti’s government to release certain inmates amid a swift rise in cholera cases throughout the country’s severely crowded prison system and dwindling supplies of clean water.

Health through Walls, which provides medical care to prisoners in Haiti, noted that not only inmates are at risk, but also security guards, kitchen workers and health staff.

“Immediate action is necessary to avert more preventable deaths within the prisons,” the organization said. “The situation has not been more dire.”

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico (AP) — Fiona, a Category 3 hurricane, pounded Bermuda with heavy rains and winds early Friday as it swept by the island on a route forecast to have it approaching northeastern Canada late in the day as a still-powerful storm.

Authorities in Bermuda opened shelters and closed schools and offices ahead of Fiona. Premier David Burt sent a tweet urging residents to “take care of yourself and your family. Let’s all remember to check on as well as look out for your seniors, family and neighbors.”

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico (AP) — A growing number of businesses, including grocery stores and gas stations, are temporarily closing across Puerto Rico as power outages caused by Hurricane Fiona drag on in the U.S. territory, sparking concern about the availability of fuel and basic goods.

Hand-written signs warning of closures have been popping up more frequently, eliciting sighs and groans from customers on an island where nearly 60% of 1.47 million clients still do not have power five days after the storm hit.