DOMINICAN-HURRICANE-SANDY

A child observes from her flooded house at La Barquita neighborhood, eastern Santo Domingo on October 25, 2012. Hurricane Sandy barreled toward the Bahamas Thursday as a powerful category two storm, after battering Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba and claiming three lives so far. The US-based National Hurricane Center said the storm was packing winds of up to 105 miles (165 kilometers) per hour as it moved north, near the top of the category two range on the five-rung Saffir-Simpson wind scale. Forecasters predicted the storm would weaken somewhat over the next 48 hours. But Sandy will remain a hurricane as it passes over the Bahamas, according to the NHC’s 1500 GMT advisory. AFP PHOTO/ERIKA SANTELICES