11 photos show people in Puerto Rico and Barbados preparing for Dorian as the tropical storm batters the Caribbean

NASA / Handout / Reuters

Island nations in the Atlantic Ocean are preparing for Tropical Storm Dorian.
In particular, Barbados, Puerto Rico, and St. Lucia are expected to face high winds, heavy rainfall, and damage from the storm.
Fuel, food, and water are all being stockpiled, while schools and offices have closed.
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Barbados, Puerto Rico, and St. Lucia are hunkering down as Tropical Storm Dorian crosses the Atlantic Ocean.

People are stockpiling fuel, food, and water. Schools and offices have closed. The eastern Caribbean islands are expecting high winds (currently at 50 miles per hour) and heavy rainfall.

Forecasters warned over the weekend that the fourth named storm of 2019 might develop into a hurricane, but said Tuesday it will likely stay at tropical storm levels, which could still bring damage to the islands.

Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Puerto Rico’s Gov. Wanda Vazquez Garced have warned their citizens to get ready, and take care.

Here are photos showing people preparing for Tropical Storm Dorian.

Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley might be smiling in this photo, but on Sunday she warned her people to stay indoors, and ordered schools and offices to shut down. In a blunt televised speech, she told her country of 285,000: "When you’re dead, you’re dead. Stay inside and get some rest."

Nigel R. Browne / Reuters

Source: AP

On Sunday, Barbados prepared for the storm by piling sand on beaches to protect the waterfront and stop flooding. Diggers also cleared drains in preparation for heavy rainfall. Forecasts predict Barbados could get up to 8 inches of rain.

Nigel R. Browne / Reuters

Sources: Business Insider, The New York Times

People listened to Mottley’s advice. In preparation, motorists waited in long lines to fill their cars with fuel.

Nigel R. Browne / Reuters

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