Hurricane Felix Takes Aim at Aruba … One Happy Island Supposedly Out of the Hurricane Belt, Not Any More

Hurricane Felix is gathering strength in the Caribbean. Hurricane Felix has become a category two hurricane and is taking direct aim at Aruba. Aruba, the Caribbean island that is touted as being out of the hurricane belt can no longer state that claim.

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Tropical Storm Felix (Hurricane) Strengthens in Caribbean … I thought Aruba Did not Experience Bad Weather on “One Happy Island”

UPDATE I: From the Aruban Forums

• Reports of floods are coming in from the village of Catashi and Seroe Patrishi.
• Haystack Hill and Aruba’s tallest hill Arikok are not visible from a distance.
• Unconfirmed reports of downed palm trees at westpunt near Malmok.
• A few downed kwihi and divi trees reported on streets.
• Visibility poor riding on Sasaki highway near Palm Beach/Eagle Beach.
• Surf is battering Tamarijn hotel entering ground level hotel rooms, according to radio report.
• Power outage reported in Palm Beach, Tarabana and Alto Vista.
  Some hotels may have generators.
• Very strong wind gusts all over the island.
• Bubali sanctuary spilling over, too much water.

UPDATE II: Hurricane Felix now a category 3

UPDATE III: VIDEO, Flooding in Aruba

UPDATE IV: Felix Becomes Category 5 Hurricane

ORANJESTAD, Aruba – Felix rapidly strengthened into a dangerous Category 5 hurricane and churned through the Caribbean Sea on a path toward Central America, where forecasters said it could make landfall as a “potentially catastrophic” storm.

On Sunday, Felix toppled trees and flooded some homes on the Dutch islands of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire in the southern Caribbean. Heavy rains and winds caused scattered power outages and forced thousands of tourists to take refuge in hotels, but residents expressed relief it did far less damage than feared as the storm’s outer bands grazed the tiny islands.

UPDATE V: Category 5 Hurricane Felix slams ashore at Nicaragua-Honduras border