(Story taken from Weather.com on 8/20/07 as of 11:20AM.)Hurricane Dean has moved away from Jamaica after lashing the island nation with sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour, and gusts of at least 138 miles per hour. This came from an observation in Kingston as Dean swept buy to the city's south.
Some locations along the south shore may have experienced even more ferocious winds. The north shore escaped the worst that Dean had to offer but likely experienced hurricane gusts and tropical storm-force sustained winds during the height of the storm.
At 11 a.m. ET, the center of Hurricane Dean was located about 125 miles southwest of Grand Cayman. It is moving toward the west at about 21 mph. Dean is expected to continue on a west or west-northwestward track throughout the remainder of the day. Maximum sustained winds are near 150 mph with further strengthening likely. In fact, Dean may reach category 5 status within the next several hours.
The Cayman Islands will feel the greatest impact today but fortunately has they have avoided a direct hit. The center of Dean has recently passed about 125 miles to the south of Grand Cayman. Heavy rain, high winds, dangerous surf, and storm surge have all impacted Caymans today.
