▁possibility ▁of ▁reg ener ation ▁into ▁a ▁tropical ▁cy clone ▁was ▁noted . ▁Early ▁on ▁August   1 7 , ▁the ▁rem n ants ▁of ▁Ch antal ▁passed ▁over ▁the ▁Wind ward ▁Islands ▁with ▁wind s ▁of ▁tropical ▁storm ▁force . ▁After ▁entering ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁Sea , ▁the ▁system ▁slow ed ▁while ▁its ▁con ve ct ive ▁pattern ▁expanded ▁and ▁became ▁more ▁symmetric . ▁H urr icane ▁Hun ters ▁confirmed ▁that ▁a ▁small ▁circul ation ▁developed ▁about ▁ 2 9 0   m iles ▁( 2 6 5   km ) ▁south ▁of ▁Saint ▁Cro ix , ▁and ▁accordingly ▁the ▁system ▁developed ▁into ▁a ▁tropical ▁storm . ▁Fore c aster s ▁described ▁the ▁upper - level ▁environment ▁as ▁" ide al ▁for ▁[ a ] ▁tropical ▁cy clone ▁to ▁intens ify ", ▁with ▁wind s ▁of ▁ 8 0   m iles ▁per ▁hour ▁( 1 3 0   km / h ) ▁forec ast ▁within ▁a ▁few ▁days . ▁The ▁cy clone ▁was ▁predicted ▁to ▁maintain ▁a ▁west - n orth west ward ▁track ▁toward ▁the ▁north western ▁Car ib bean ▁and ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Mexico . ▁On ▁August ▁ 1 8 , ▁the ▁wind s ▁increased ▁to ▁ 6 5   m iles ▁per ▁hour ▁( 1 0 5   km / h ), ▁although ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁forward ▁motion ▁caused ▁the ▁low - level ▁circul ation ▁to ▁become ▁separated ▁from ▁the ▁deep ▁con ve ction . ▁The ▁storm ▁again ▁dec eler ated ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 9 ,