Hurricane Felix Is A "Potentially Catastrophic" Category 5

The National Hurricane Center has labeled Hurricane Felix a "potentially catastrophic" Category 5 storm.

The hurricane threatens Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. It is expected to make landfall on the Nicaragua/Honduras border early Tuesday morning.

Several islands are still operating with tropical storm warnings, including Jamaica and Grand Cayman. At 8 a.m., Hurricane Felix was located about 425 miles east of the Nicaragua/Honduras border, and was moving West at 21 mph.

Maximum sustained winds have been clocked at 165 mph, with higher gusts -- making Felix a Category 5 storm. It is expected to make landfall as a Category 4 or Category 5 storm.

Fortunately, hurricane-force winds don't extend out far from the center of the storm -- about 30 miles. Tropical storm-force winds extend about 115 miles from the center. Still, the storm could drop 8 to 12 inches of rain, producing "life-threatening" flash floods and mudslides.

COMMENTS ()