Tropical storm hits Caribbean

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- Tropical Storm Chris swept through the eastern Caribbean on Wednesday, forcing cruise ships to change course and tourists to evacuate small islands off the coast of Puerto Rico as it threatened to become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season.
The storm had top sustained winds of 65 mph as it swirled past the northern Leeward Islands and moved west-northwest toward the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
A hurricane watch was issued in the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, the National Hurricane Center said. The watch meant hurricane conditions of winds of at least 74 mph were possible by late today.
Some 600 tourists evacuated Culebra and Vieques, islands off Puerto Rico's east coast.
"Everybody left," said Jacinto Jiminez, owner of a hotel on Culebra.
The storm was projected to pass at least 100 miles north of Puerto Rico, but could produce strong gusts of wind and up to 8 inches of rain. Authorities in the U.S. territory warned of possible flash floods and mudslides.
The center of the storm was about 100 miles northeast of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands at mid-afternoon Wednesday.
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