© Associated Press/Weather UndergroundThis NOAA satellite image taken Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 03:00 AM EDT shows clouds associated with Hurricane Danielle as it begins to track northeastward as a Category 3 storm. It may regain Category 4 status on Saturday, but will weaken as it remains away from any major landmasses. Tropical Storm Earl is to the southeast of Hurricane Danielle and is moving westward. Clouds in the Gulf of Mexico are producing some showers along the Gulf Coast
Islanders set up emergency shelters and cancelled flights on Sunday as newly born Hurricane Earl churned toward the northern Caribbean. Cruise lines diverted ships to avoid the storm's path.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said that Earl, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), could hit the northern Leeward Islands as soon as Sunday night. It could become a major hurricane by Tuesday - probably while north of Puerto Rico.
People on several islands stuffed shopping carts with bottled water, canned food, milk, candles and batteries, while some tourists scrambled to board flights home. Others enjoyed the beach while they could.
"I'm just trying get a good suntan in while the weather is still co-operating," said Linda Curren of New York City, sunbathing on San Juan's Ocean Park beach as a few surfers paddled into pounding waves.
