Hurricane Ike heads to Bahamas, Cuba

MIAMI, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- The eye of Hurricane Ike was over the Turks and Caicos Islands late Saturday with the dangerous storm headed for Cuba.

Hurricane warnings were in effect for Guantanamo and other eastern provinces in Cuba and for the southern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported.

While Ike's forecast track only suggested it would brush Florida, authorities were shooing tourists off the Florida Keys Saturday. They also were planning a mandatory phased evacuation of island residents Sunday, as almost all of Florida remained in the predicted trajectory of the storm, The Miami Herald reported.

The hurricane strengthened to Category 4 status late Saturday afternoon, and forecasters warned that Ike was expected to remain a major hurricane for at least the next 48 hours.

Ike was producing winds of 135 mph at 11 p.m. EDT with hurricane-force winds extending 45 miles from the center and tropical storm winds 140 miles. The storm was moving west-southwest about 15 mph.

It was expected to pass near or over the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas and then turn westward, likely hitting eastern Cuba Sunday night and early Monday, the hurricane center said.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. While Hispaniola was not directly in Ike's path, Haiti, already battered by Hurricane Hanna, could suffer more damage from the outskirts of the storm.

Storm surge flooding of 13-18 feet above normal tide levels was forecast, with rainfall of 4-12 inches common and isolated instances of up to 20 inches, meaning flash floods and mudslides are possible, the hurricane center said.