Felix is now a hurricane, gaining power

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada (AP) — Hurricane Felix gathered strength Saturday and pounded Grenada with heavy rains and winds, snapping small boats loose from their moorings and toppling utility poles on its route toward the Caribbean island of Aruba.

The storm was upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane Saturday evening, with sustained maximum winds near 75 mph. It was expected to strengthen even further as its outer bands started hitting the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao late Saturday or early today.

Tropical Storm Henriette, meanwhile, was moving out to sea after dumping rain on Mexico’s Pacific coastline. In Acapulco, the storm loosened a boulder that smashed into a home, killing three people. A teenager and her two brothers were also killed when a landslide slammed into their house in a poor neighborhood of the glitzy resort.

Felix swept over Grenada on Saturday, knocking local radio and TV stations out of service and toppling utility lines. No injuries were immediately reported, but the storm ripped roofs off at least two homes and a popular concert venue was demolished. Orchards were left in ruin.

Jess Charles, 29, said he and his family waited out the storm in their house in the town of Calliste, listening to its howling winds.