Hanna stationary near Grand Turk Islands

MIAMI, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- A hurricane warning is posted for the central and southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, where Hurricane Hanna has stalled, forecasters said.

At 11 p.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said the center of the storm was 90 miles west-northwest of Grand Turk Island and about 380 miles southeast of Nassau, and had not moved much during the previous few hours. Little motion was expected during the next day or so and a northwest motion was expected to begin by Tuesday.

Maximum sustained winds were about 80 mph with higher gusts and Hanna was a Category 1 storm.

U.S. response officials, during a briefing on the status of Hurricane Gustav in New Orleans, said they were preparing to respond to Hurricane Hanna in Florida, and North and South Carolina.

"We're ready for a response" to Hanna, said Rear Adm. W. Craig Vanderwagen, assistant commissioner for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in charge of readiness and response.

Hanna was expected to produce rainfall of between 4-to-8 inches over the hurricane watch area, with isolated instances of up to 12 inches through Thursday, the center said. Swells were expected to increase the risk of rip currents along areas of the southeastern U.S. coast over the next few days, the center said.

Maj. Gen. Don Riley, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said, "We'll make sure we have coverage" in Florida and the Carolinas.

Joseph Becker, Red Cross senior vice president of disaster services, said the organization was prepared as well to respond to Hanna.

"We're in a hurricane season," he said. "We're not just responding to one event."