Fiona's Fury Leaves 8 Dead in Caribbean Islands: CBN's Operation Blessing in Puerto Rico to Help with Clean-Up

As many as eight people are dead in the Caribbean islands from the harsh wind and waves of Hurricane Fiona. 

The storm left behind a path of destruction in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. 

Friday morning, the 800-miles wide storm passed the British Island territory of Bermuda, showing its strength with 130 mph winds and 50-foot waves at its peak as a category 4 storm. The storm has since been downgraded to a category 3.

***PLEASE Give to OPERATION BLESSING Disaster Relief Efforts ***

"We want residents to please take this storm seriously," said Michael Weeks, Bermuda's minister of National Security. 

Residents scrambled to board up their homes, store their boats and prepare for the worst ahead of Thursday's 10:00 pm curfew. 

"I have lots of water. Snacks, canned meat. Mostly non-perishables I purchased for the storm," said one woman preparing for the event.

As the hurricane tracked north, storm-ravaged Puerto Rico is reeling from Fiona's heavy wind and rain. Some homes were washed off their foundations. An estimated 60% of the island is still living in the dark with no timeline of when the power will be restored. Puerto Rico is still recovering from Hurricane Maria, which struck the U.S. territory almost five years ago.

CBN's Operation Blessing is there, delivering 10,000 aqua tabs for clean water for drinking and cooking, Home Depot cleaning buckets, blue tarps, and other essential items needed after a storm of this magnitude. 

Puerto Rican Pastor Giovanni Alomar Santos says despite the storm, he's still able to see God moving. 

"We didn't expect for Operation Blessing to be here," said Pastor Santos. "We know times have changed but we feel blessed Operation Blessing has come. We see them here and the interest they have to help communities and show the love of the Lord." 

***PLEASE Give to OPERATION BLESSING Disaster Relief Efforts ***

Fiona is heading north to the Canadian provinces. Swells from the storm are expected to bring dangerous rip tides and high waves along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. 

Meanwhile, the season's ninth tropical depression is forming in the Caribbean Sea. Early forecasts predict the storm as being a possible threat to Florida.  

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