POINTE-A-PITRE, Guadeloupe (AP) - Islanders braced for a battering from Hurricane Jose, which is threatening a string of Caribbean islands from French Martinique to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico as it grows and gains power Wednesday. "Our projections have it becoming a Category 2 hurricane (with winds of) 90 maybe 95 mph ... extending out it could 100 mph," said Chris Robbins, a meteorologist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. Hurricanes are ranked in strength on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the strongest. A Category 2 storm has winds of up to 110 mph and are capable of moderate damage. Michael Formosa, another meteorologist at the hurricane center, said Wednesday there was a strong chance the storm would not reach the U.S. East Coast.