Hurricane Ike barreled toward the Turks and Caicos as a powerful Category 3 storm Saturday, prompting an exodus of tourists and locals from the normally idyllic Atlantic island chain. Turks and Caicos and the southern Bahamas appeared to be first in line to take a hit from Ike, and many people decided they would be better off elsewhere. "I don't remember ever seeing a mass exodus like this," said Tracy Paradis, a longtime resident of Providenciales who was heading to Seattle with her 19-month-old twins to wait out the storm.

The low-lying island chain was pummeled for four days by Hanna earlier this week. That storm caused widespread flooding, and knocked down trees, light poles and an important causeway that links North Caicos and Middle Caicos.

Premier Michael Misick toured some of the hardest-hit areas and pledged government aid while also warning people to heed the warnings about Ike.

At 5 a.m. EDT, Ike's eye was about 265 miles east-northeast of Grand Turk Island. It was moving west-southwest about 16 mph and had maximum sustained winds near 115 mph. Forecasters said Ike could be near or over the Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas late Saturday or early Sunday.

The government of the Bahamas issued a hurricane warning for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas, meaning hurricane conditions are expected within the within the next 24 hours.

The area's small, low-lying islands are vulnerable to flooding from storm surge.

People said Hurricane Hanna gave them a sense of that vulnerability.

"I've been here 13 years and Hanna was the strongest thing we've had," Dierin Longmire said as she checked in at the airport. "It shook me up."

She said she was closely monitoring the storm's approach and decided to start her vacation to Asia earlier than usual.

"I have a feeling it's going to be bad," she said.

Leslie Foss, a personal trainer who has lived in Turks for eight years, originally planned to ride it out. But the man who built her house in Providenciales and a friend in the Canadian coast guard encouraged her leave. She was evacuating with her Great Dane, Max.

"When people who have experienced these things ... are leaving, it just makes you think," said the native of Saskatchewan, Canada.

Business in Providenciales covered windows with plywood, and most hotels closed and ordered tourists out.

Jonathan Cohen, from Queens, New York, had already planned to return home Friday but others at the Club Med resort where he spent the week were forced to cut short their vacations.

"What we saw was pretty bad," the 35-year-old physician's assistant said. "So for it to be two, three times worse, well, it's time to get out of here."

Not everyone, however, was heading to the mainland. Many locals went about their business as usual - under mostly clear skies - and even a few tourists planned to stick it out. The airport in Providenciales was expected to close on Saturday.

In the Bahamas, the government urged tourists to evacuate the sparsely populated southeastern islands.

"We are strongly encouraging all of our visitors to voluntarily evacuate," said Vernice Walkine, director general of the Tourism Ministry.

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Associated Press writer Mike Melia contributed from Nassau, Bahamas.

Written By BEN FOX

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