PUERTO RICO IS GOING TO BE PICKING UP THE PIECES FOR A LONG TIME AFTER HURRICANE MARIA

Winchester, VA – Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico yesterday, having made landfall near Yabucoa at 6:15a.m. as a Category 4 hurricane.  By 8:00 p.m. last night, Maria had weakened to a Category 2 hurricane, but once over the open waters, it restrengthened to a Category 3. Right now, Maria is a category 3 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 115mph, located at latitude 19.6 and longitude 68.4. It is moving NW at 9 mph and its minimum central pressure is 959mb. Hurricane Maria is currently passing off the east coast of the Dominican Republic, headed for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas, both of which will see hurricane conditions this evening. Puerto Rico took a devastating hit from Hurricane Maria. NBC News reports that Emergency Management Director Abner Gomez Cortez said at a news briefing, “Once we’re able to go outside, we’re going to find our island destroyed.” A curfew from 6 p.m. To 6 a.m. was imposed both over concerns about flooding, and to keep the streets clear for repair and rescue teams.  The flooding along the Rio de la Plata river was said to be “extremely dangerous and life-threatening.” More than 11,000 people are currently in Puerto Rican shelters. The Mayor of San Juan Carmen Yulin Cruz said that the  entire island is without power, half of the island is flooded and 90% of the island is without water. She said that the loss of power could extend from four to six months, and all of the main roads are blocked. The airports in San Juan, Aguadilla and Ponce are closed until Friday due to flooding and debris.  Meteorologist Domenica Davis from The Weather Channel said that it looks like Hurricane Maria will stay over the open waters of the Atlantic right now and may not be a threat to the American mainland.

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