Powerful Hurricane Dean swirled ever closer to the sun-kissed Caribbean islands Thursday night, prompting forecasters to extend tropical storm warnings to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Dean, a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, was expected to pass near the islands of St. Lucia and Martinique early Friday, on its way across the Lesser Antilles into the Caribbean, according to the National Hurricane Center.
St. Lucia and Martinique were under a hurricane watch, as were the islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe. People on the islands were being warned to finish preparations to protect their safety and property. 
Read full article »
Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
All About National Hurricane Center