Chantal dies, but Dean pelts islands with rain and wind

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- As the Caribbean's first tropical storm of the year fizzled above Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, a second unexpected storm roared to life, terrorizing islands with heavy rain and winds, and forcing the cancelation of more than 30 flights.

Tropical Storm Dean surprised forecasters Wednesday afternoon, emerging quickly from a tropical wave with sustained winds that reached 60 mph -- just 14 mph short of a hurricane.

As Dean strengthened, Chantal -- the Caribbean's first tropical storm of the year that killed two brothers in Trinidad with its powerful lightning bolts -- weakened as it hovered over the Yucatan.

Early Wednesday, Dean showed up as nothing more than a tropical wave, or a disorganized weather system lacking westerly winds. But by afternoon, wind readings taken by a reconnaissance aircraft forced its upgrade.

"It's raining way too much," said Victor Manuel Vazquez, a police officer on the outlying Puerto Rican island of Vieques.