Oh, No! Tomas Is Increasing In Strength!

Hurricane Tomas is sitting directly in-between Jamaica and Haiti and is rapidly gaining strength! And slowing down it's forward speed too, from the looks of it! A minor disaster can become a major disaster from that eventuality!

The National Hurricane Center says:

THERE HAS BEEN A SHARP INCREASE IN THE INNER-CORE WIND STRUCTURE AND CONVECTIVE ORGANIZATION OF TOMAS DURING THE PAST 6 HOURS. ALTHOUGH BOTH AIR FORCE RESERVE AND NOAA HURRICANE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THERE IS ABOUT 12 NMI NORTHEASTWARD TILT TO THE VORTEX...THIS HAS NOT PREVENTED THE CENTRAL PRESSURE FROM FALLING AND THE WINDS FROM INCREASING.

...THE INITIAL MOTION ESTIMATE IS NOW 030/08. TOMAS HAS NOW MOVED NORTH OF A MID-LEVEL RIDGE THAT LIES EAST-WEST ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA. TOMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE AROUND THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE AND GRADUALLY ACCELERATE NORTHEASTWARD AS IT COMES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MODERATE SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AHEAD OF A DEEP MID-LATITUDE TROUGH CURRENTLY MOVING EASTWARD ACROSS THE EASTERN U.S....FLORIDA...AND THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO.

...REGARDLESS OF THE EXACT TRACK AND INTENSITY OF TOMAS...THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THREAT FROM THIS TROPICAL CYCLONE WILL BE HEAVY RAINFALL...WHICH COULD PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING AND LIFE-THREATENING MUD SLIDES OVER HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

But the storm looks like it's momentarily stalled. It's not driving right through the Windward Passage like it was supposed to, but lingering instead. And don't forget Jamaica! They're getting a beating right now!

This can't end well....