LAS TERRENAS, Dominican Republic (AP) – Tropical Storm Jeanne hovered near hurricane strength as it plowed through the northeastern Dominican Republic yesterday, prompting thousands to flee their homes following a direct hit on Puerto Rico that flooded hundreds of homes and killed two people.

Jeanne was forecast to regain hurricane strength and appeared headed for the Bahamas – devastated earlier this month by Hurricane Frances – and then possibly toward the southeast United States, anywhere from Florida to the Carolinas. Eastern Cuba also could be threatened, said forecasters.

At least eight Dominicans were injured as trees were toppled and floods struck parts of the east and northeast, emergency officials said. Crashing waves pounded the north coast, along with high winds and driving rain. Phone services and electricity were knocked out in some areas.

More than 8,200 people were evacuated in the Dominican Republic and took refuge in shelters set up in schools and churches, officials said.

“I’m worried because I don’t know what’s going to happen. Normally hurricanes don’t come here,” said Franklin Bussone, a 44 year-old Frenchman from Paris who had boarded up his small waterfront cafe and pulled chairs and tables off his terrace facing the ocean.

Streets were nearly deserted as gusty winds buffeted Las Terrenas, a tourist town 55 miles (90 kilometres) north of the capital of Santo Domingo. Authorities ordered all boats to stay in port, putting a stop to fishing and diving excursions.

Jeanne became a hurricane early yesterday as its winds increased to near 80 mph (130 kph) before hitting land at eastern village of Cabo Engano, and later winds dropped to 70 mph (110 kph) over the northeastern Dominican Republic. Tropical storms become hurricanes when winds reach 74 mph (123 kph).

Jeanne’s winds were near 70 mph (112 kph) when it raged across Puerto Rico on Wednesday, dumping up to two feet (61 centimetres) of rain on the US territory, flooding hundreds of homes, snapping trees and downing power lines.

“A sudden storm hit us in an unexpected way and with a strength much greater than we had expected,” Puerto Rican Gov Sila Calderon said yesterday before touring flooded areas of north-coast Toa Baja. “It left a wake of destruction that we now have to face.”

She asked US President George W Bush to declare a disaster and free up federal aid to “address the urgent and unforeseen needs”.

Puerto Rico could expect another five to 10 inches (13-25 centimetres) of rain yesterday, threatening flashfloods and mudslides, said Hector Guerrero, a meteorologist at the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami.

About 3,600 Puerto Ricans remained in shelters, 38 roads were blocked, most of the four million islanders were without electricity and some 600,000 without running water, Calderon said.

One woman was killed in the southeastern town of Yabucoa when winds flung her from a hammock and smashed her into a neighbour’s house, officials said. In north-coast Vega Baja, a man putting up storm shutters fell from a roof and died, police said.

At 5:00 pm (2100 GMT), Jeanne’s eye was over the northeastern Dominican Republic, about 50 miles (85 kilometres) northeast of the capital of Santo Domingo, moving west near eight mph (13 kph).

Tropical storm-force winds stretched out 70 miles (110 kilometres) from Jeanne’s centre. Jeanne was expected to hug the north coast of the Dominican Republic and turn west-northwest by today.

“It’s more dangerous when it’s slow because it has time to cause more damage,” said Miguel Campusano, forecast director for Dominican weather centre.

Some flights out of the eastern Dominican Republic were cancelled.

A hurricane warning was posted for the southeastern Bahamas and the British Turks and Caicos Islands, and a watch for the central Bahamas. Haiti’s north coast was under a storm warning.