Felix Strengthens Rapidly into Category 5 Storm

Tropical storm Felix grew shockingly fast over the past 36 hours, morphing into a powerful Category 5 hurricane and threatening the central and western Caribbean. The storm dealt a glancing blow to Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire -- normally considered outside the hurricane belt -- bringing heavy rains and flooding. Tropical storm warnings are in effect in Jamaica and Grand Cayman. The storm appears to be tracking south of the Caribbean islands but could hit Honduras, Belize or elsewhere in Central America.

Thousands of tourists in the Dutch Caribbean took shelter in their hotels as the storm grazed the "ABC" islands, with Felix's arrival a sudden surprise to visitors who figured they were too far south for a hurricane to interrupt their holiday plans.