Hurricane Elsa reaches St. Vincent in its path

Hurricane Elsa on Friday blew off roofs and snapped trees in the eastern Caribbean, where officials closed schools, businesses and airports. It is the first hurricane of the Atlantic season and appeared headed eventually in the general direction of Florida. The Category 1 storm has unleashed heavy rain and winds in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which is still struggling to recover from recent massive volcanic eruptions. Authorities opened dozens of shelters in St. Vincent and urged people to evacuate if they lived near a valley, given the threat of flash flooding, mudslides and volcanic mudflows, especially in the northern part of the island where La Soufrière volcano is located.