MIAMI — Oscar retained its hurricane status late Saturday afternoon while still remaining small, forecasters said. The storm has 85 mph maximum sustained winds, triggering hurricane warnings and watches for the northeastern Caribbean.

Oscar formed as a tropical storm just east of Turks and Caicos on Saturday morning, the 15th named storm of the season. Tropical Storm Nadine formed off the coast of Belize overnight.

Oscar initially had a low chance of developing, but is now headed for the Caribbean as a hurricane, bringing heavy rain and dangerous storm surge, according to the 5 p.m. Saturday advisory from the National Hurricane Center. Cuba could feel Oscar by Sunday.

What the storm is doing where it’s going

Hurricane Oscar is moving west at around 10 mph and is predicted to be stay on this path for the rest of Saturday.

Oscar is now expected to bring dangerous hurricane conditions to the Turks and Caicos Islands Saturday night.

Caribbean islands already feeling winds

The hurricane is threatening tourists, sports fans and Caribbean athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympics who flocked to the region to participate in the inaugural Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committee’s Sports Awards at the Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages and Spa in Providenciales through Sunday, Oct. 20.

As winds began to pick up, islanders rushed to Graceway IGA Supermarket to stack up on provisions. On the floor, workers were restocking the water quickly plucked up by customers.

By 4 p.m. Saturday, the National Airport Authority had shut down the island’s domestic airports.

Watches, warnings and risks

—A hurricane warning is in effect for Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas.

—Parts of Cuba are under hurricane and tropical storm watches.

—Hurricane-force winds are expected to hit the Turks and Caicos Islands Saturday night, with tropical storm winds starting Saturday afternoon.

—Turks and Caicos will experience a dangerous storm surge starting this evening, with water levels rising two to four feet.

—The region will see heavy rain, with two to four inches expected and isolated areas receiving up to 6 inches through Tuesday. This rain will begin in the Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas on Saturday, spreading to eastern Cuba by Sunday.

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(Miami Herald staff writer Jacqueline Charles contributed to this report from the Turks and Caicos Islands.)

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