A weakened Hurricane Tomas was heading into open Caribbean waters on Sunday after pounding the island of St. Vincent with gusty winds and heavy rain, the National Hurricane Center said.

More than 1,000 people entered shelters as Tomas dealt a blow to the island, an emergency official said. Two people were injured, one critically, when they tried to go out and repair roof damage during the storm, said Michelle Forbes, acting director of National Emergency Management.

As of 11 a.m. Sunday, the center of Tomas was located about 180 miles (290 kilometers) west of St. Lucia and about 345 miles (550 kilometers) south-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to the Miami, Florida-based Hurricane Center. It was moving west-northwest at about 9 mph (15 kph). READ FULL STORY