Hurricane Dean struck Jamaica today, swamping the streets of Kingston and leaving devastation in its wake as it swept west across the Caribbean. The center of the Category 4 storm missed the island by a few miles, Reuters reports, but passed close enough to bring down numerous trees and utility poles, cause mudslides, and tear the roofs off houses.
The government instituted a 48-hour curfew and encouraged residents to evacuate to shelters, but many refused. "If you come by here later today you will see me drinking rum," said a Port Royal resident. The storm was moving west at about 20mph; forecasters expect it to clear Jamaica and strike the Caymans before proceeding to the Yucatan and central Mexico. (More Hurricane Dean stories.)