(Official correction of storm position by hurricane center) By John Marino SAN JUAN, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Hurricane Omar strengthened on Wednesday as it bore down on Puerto Rico and the small islands of the northeastern Caribbean, threatening to bring torrential rains that could trigger dangerous floods and mudslides. The 15th tropical cyclone of a busy Atlantic hurricane season formed north of the Dutch island of Curacao on Tuesday, immediately disrupting oil operations in Venezuela and later at a refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The U.S. National Hurricane Center predicted Omar would grow into a Category 2 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity before reaching the Virgin Islands and the northern Leeward Islands over the next day or so. "It also isn't out of the question that Omar could achieve major hurricane status just before the cyclone reaches the northern Leeward islands," the Miami-based center said. Major hurricanes are those that rank Category 3 and higher and are considered the most dangerous. In the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, home to about 4 million people, residents flocked to supermarkets to stock up on drinking water, canned goods and other supplies. "I'm not too worried, but I went out and bought water, candles and gas," San Juan resident Kevin Mead, 35, said. "I paid with my bank card. I'm keeping my cash." 'THE GROUND IS SATURATED' Local National Weather Service director Israel Matos said there were fears the storm would affect the same areas hardest hit by heavy rains from a tropical disturbance three weeks ago, when 30 inches (76 cm) of rain caused severe flooding. "The ground is saturated, which increases the possibility of flooding and mudslides," he said. On the island of Vieques, which was smacked by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and Hurricane Georges in 1998, residents rushed to board up houses and fill their cars with gasoline. By 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT), Omar was located around 195 miles (310 km) southwest of St. Croix and 205 miles (330 km) south of San Juan, the hurricane center said. It was moving to the northeast at 13 miles per hour (21 km per hour) and had top sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph). The storm brought heavy rains to the Netherlands Antilles islands, and parts of Venezuela and Colombia, and could douse Puerto Rico and the northern Leeward Islands with up to 20 inches (51 cm) of rain, the hurricane center said. Storm alerts were posted for Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy and Guadeloupe. On Curacao, trees and lampposts were knocked down and power was out in some areas. The storm briefly prevented Venezuela from loading tankers with crude oil and knocking out power at the OPEC nation's 200,000 barrel-per-day Puerto La Cruz refinery. Processing units at the 500,000 barrel-per-day Hovensa refinery on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands were being shut down ahead of Omar's arrival, Hess Corp <HES.N> said. STORM OFF HONDURAS A tropical depression moved inland over northeastern Honduras on Wednesday afternoon. But forecasters said strengthening was still possible and it could become Tropical Storm Paloma, the 16th of the season, later on Wednesday. At 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT), the depression was 40 miles (65 km) east-southeast of Limon, Honduras. It did not present a threat to the U.S. mainland or Gulf of Mexico oil fields. The 2008 hurricane season, which officially ends on Nov. 30, has been active. An average season spawns 10 storms, of which six grow into hurricanes. This year, Hurricane Gustav slammed ashore near New Orleans, the city devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Hurricane Ike hit Houston. Both threatened oil rigs off the U.S. Gulf Coast, which supply a quarter of U.S. domestic oil. In Haiti, more than 800 people were killed in flooding caused by Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike, while Cuba suffered $5 billion in damage after being raked by Gustav and Ike. (Additional reporting by Tom Brown in Miami, Janet McGurty in New York and Irasi Jimenez in Willemstad, Curacao, Writing by Michael Christie, Editing by Jim Loney and Xavier Briand)
Residents carry a bicycle along a flooded street in Haikou, Hainan province October 14, 2008. Floods triggered by torrential rain over the past four days have left two people dead, one ...
