Hurricane Fabian stays strong in Atlantic
Jimena downgraded to tropical storm near Hawaii
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This animation shows the path of Fabian from 10:45 a.m. Sunday to 4:45 a.m. Monday. (Courtesy Accuweather)
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(CNN) -- Now a dangerous Category 4 storm, Hurricane Fabian on Monday remains far east of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, said.
At 11 a.m. EDT Monday, the eye of Fabian was about 335 miles (540 kilometers) east-northeast of Barbuda in the northern Leewards and was moving west near 12 mph (19 kilometers per hour), forecasters said.
The hurricane is expected to make a gradual turn to the west-northwest during the next 24 hours, forecasters said. Fabian is forecast to pass well to the north of the Leewards during the next couple of days.
Fabian's maximum sustained winds were at 140 mph (225 kilometers per hour), with higher gusts.
Category 4 hurricanes are those with winds between 131 and 155 mph (210 and 249 kilometers per hour). They create a storm surge that is generally 13 to 18 feet above normal tides.
When such storms hit land, they can collapse the roofs of small homes; blow down shrubs, trees and signs; destroy mobile homes; and cause extensive damage to doors and windows.
Terrain lower than 10 feet above sea level may be flooded, requiring the evacuation of residential areas as far inland as six miles (10 kilometers).
Another Category 4 storm, Hurricane Luis, hit the Leeward Islands in 1995.
In the central Pacific, Hurricane Jimena weakened to a tropical storm early Monday as it buzzed the Big Island of Hawaii.
Jimena skirted Hawaii about 170 miles (274 kilometers) south of Hilo. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu said the storm was zipping to the west-southwest at 17 mph (27 kilometers) at 5 a.m. (11 a.m. EDT) with 70 mph (113 kilometers per hour) maximum sustained winds.
The center canceled a hurricane watch but left a tropical storm warning in effect for the Hawaiian island as Jimena brought high surf, heavy rain and strong winds. (Full story)
