Tropical Storm Chris strengthened yesterday as it approached the eastern edge of the Caribbean, prompting a run on groceries and gas as people prepared for the third named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. The storm had top winds of nearly 45 mph (75 kph) as it passed over the Leeward Islands, and was expected to gather strength as it approached the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. Tropical Storm Chris could become a minimal hurricane in 72 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said as it increased the expected intensity of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season's third cyclone. Hurricane potential The Miami-based center said in a special discussion bulletin posted on its website that Chris' maximum sustained winds could reach 65 knots by Friday, just over the 64-knot, or 74 miles per hour (119 km per hour) threshold at which tropical storms are classified as hurricanes. A tropical storm warning was posted for all the Leewards, including Antigua, Anguilla, St. Kitts and St. Maarten, Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, the hurricane center said. The U.S. National Weather Service said Puerto Rico would begin to experience strong gusts of wind and heavy rain this afternoon. The first named storm of the 2006 season, Tropical Storm Alberto, swept over Florida in mid-June, then plowed northward along the U.S. coast past the Outer Banks. It was blamed for one drowning. Last season was the worst in more than 150 years of records. A record number of tropical storms and hurricanes formed, including the devastating Hurricane Katrina. Reprinted from jamaica-gleaner.com