Caribbean storm upgraded to hurricane

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — A powerful Caribbean storm drenched the Bahamas and Cuba on Thursday while rescue workers in the Dominican Republic headed out in boats and helicopters to reach dozens of communities isolated by floods and mudslides. The death toll rose to 108.

Noel was upgraded to a hurricane Thursday evening, after doing most of its damage as a tropical storm and becoming the deadliest tempest of the Atlantic region this year. Hurricane Felix, a devastating Category 5 storm, killed 101 people when it lashed the Caribbean and slammed into the Nicaraguan and Honduran coasts in early September.

By midevening as it moved away from the Bahamas, Hurricane Noel’s sustained winds had increased to 75 mph, just strong enough to be rated a Category 1 hurricane, the National Weather Service said.

Rescuers in Dominican Republic took off in helicopters and boats to reach isolated residents for the first time in three days. Hundreds of volunteers joined Dominican civil defense forces to help stranded residents, as rescue teams left at dawn Thursday — many in boats loaned by private owners.