Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Hurricane Lorenzo to Bring 70-Foot Waves to Azores Associated Press LISBON, PORTUGAL - A hurricane packing a punch rarely witnessed in the mid-Atlantic Ocean is bearing down on the Azores Islands, placing emergency services on red alert for waves that could reach eight stories high, winds that could flatten homes and heavy rains that could turn into torrents on steep mountains. The Category 2 Hurricane Lorenzo is expected to hit the Portuguese islands Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Waves up to 22 meters (72 feet) high and hurricane wind gusts over 200 kilometers mph (124 mph) are forecast for some islands. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami issued hurricane warnings for seven of the Azores' nine volcanic islands and a tropical storm warning for the other two. The remote islands are home to about 250,000 people. .