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Heavy rain and strong winds buffeted Antigua, where the effects of Gonzalo, which strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane Monday afternoon, were felt for several hours. Downed trees blocked many island roads and people called radio stations to report that the storm had stripped all or part of the roofs from their homes. 

The government ordered schools and businesses to close amid an island-wide power outage and opened four emergency shelters. 

Winds, which gusted up to 88 mph, damaged a luxury hotel on the west coast of Antigua, tourists told The Weather Channel.

(MORE: Track Gonzalo)

“The walls blew off. A tree landed on our room. We were shaking hiding in our closet, ” said Alexis Sherry of New York City, who is staying at Hermitage Bay resort with her husband, Jason Savage. “I thought we were going to die.”

Sherry said they were caught off guard by the power of the storm.

Sherrod James, Antigua’s deputy director of the National Office of Disaster Services, said the agency has received reports of damaged homes but no injuries or deaths from the storm.

According to the Associated Press, Gonzalo damaged many homes, including that of 36-year-old teacher Condell Maurice. 

“You should have seen us with our buckets, jugs and bowls trying to chase down those leaks,” Maurice told the Associated Press. 

Gonzalo is now expected to move out over open ocean, but residents of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico stocked up on fuel and groceries and pulled boats ashore or moored them at marinas. 

“We’re being told that it’s coming this way so people are trying to find safe havens for their boats. Hopefully, all we’ll get is some rain but you have to be prepared as best as you can,” said Jane Wherren, operations director at Crown Bay Marina, which caters to mega-yachts and other pleasure watercraft in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

From Puerto Rico, the U.S. Coast Guard warned people to avoid the ocean and stay away from shoreline rocks. “Tropical Storm Gonzalo is developing quickly,” said Guard Capt. Robert Warren.

Gonzalo was expected to move through parts of the Leeward Islands by early Monday, producing 4 inches to 8 inches of rain, with some areas potentially getting soaked with as much as 12 inches.

The storm forecasts prompted at least cruise ship company to tweak itineraries.

• Carnival Cruise Lines’ Breeze ship canceled a visit in La Romana, Dominican Republic, and its Liberty and Conquest vessels are switching to western Caribbean ports to avoid the storm.
• Disney Cruise Lines said the Disney Magic cruise ship due to visit St. John’s, Antigua, on Monday will instead visit Grenada on Monday.
• Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas will bypass a scheduled stop in St. Maarten on Monday and head to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Regional airline LIAT canceled some flights Monday.

Tune-in to The Weather Channel TV network to watch live coverage on the severe weather outbreak and Hurricane Gonzalo. To keep you safe and informed of the latest breaking news, our regular programming will be suspended until the threat has passed.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Hurricane Gonzalo

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Tropical Storm Gonzalo hits Antigua, Oct. 13, 2014. (Twitter/@ChinU_MD)

 

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