Tropical storm warnings and watches are posted for parts of the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Emily is expected to move across the island of Hispaniola late Wednesday.

Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island. The threat is of particular concern for Haiti, where thousands of people still live in tent camps after a devastating earthquake in January 2010.

Tropical storm warnings are in effect for Haiti, Dominican Republic, the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and two provinces in eastern Cuba.

The storm is expected to move near or over Cabo Beata in Dominican Republic in the coming hours before moving on to Haiti later in the day. Emily is expected to reach the southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands by Thursday.

Forecasters warn the storm surge may raise water levels about half a meter above normal tides in the tropical storm warning area.

Elsewhere, Hurricane Eugene is reaching what experts say could be its peak intensity over the open Pacific, but no coastal watches or warnings are in effect.

The Category 3 storm, with winds of 205 kilometers per hour, was south of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California area. The storm is expected to weaken later Wednesday as it moves over cooler waters.