Tropical Storm Tomas buffets Barbados and heads west

Robert Edison Sandiford in Reuters: Tropical Storm Tomas, nearly a hurricane, battered Barbados on Saturday, damaging homes and downing power lines as it headed toward the northern Windward Islands in the eastern Caribbean, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Packing top sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, Tomas swept over the Caribbean's easternmost island of Barbados, blowing roofs off some houses, causing widespread power outages and blocking some roads with debris, residents said.

…At 8 a.m. EDT, Tomas was located about 70 miles southeast of St. Lucia, heading westwards, and it was expected to strengthen into a hurricane later on Saturday as it moved into the eastern Caribbean sea, the hurricane center said. Tomas is the 19th named storm of what has been a very active 2010 Atlantic Hurricane season….

NOAA's projected track for Tropical Storm Tomas