Two weeks after the devastating Hurricane Irma, Puerto Rico was battered by another storm, Hurricane Maria. The storm’s 155 miles-per-hour winds spanned across the entire territory, prompting thousands to take refuge and wrecking an already-crushed island.
The storm made landfall near El Negro in southeast Puerto Rico shortly before sunrise on Wednesday. Maria’s winds weakened as it plowed through the territory, downgrading it from a Category 5 to a Category 4 storm. Yet its winds remained so powerful that, according to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, Maria caused 100 percent of the U.S. territory to lose power. The combined damage from Maria and Irma could leave Puerto Rico without power for as long as six months.
On Wednesday evening, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello set a 6-p.m-to-6-a.m curfew to “maintain the order” within the American territory, especially with rising water levels threatening the island. “The danger continues,” said Gov. Rossello, “There is a flood warning for all [of] Puerto Rico. Stay in safe places.”
On Thursday morning, after decimating Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria lashed the Dominican Republic. Winds ranged from 115-to-125 mph, causing flash floods, power outages, and mudslides. Before rushing home to the D.R. from the U.N. General Assembly, D.R. President Danilo Medina called for emergency funds for the country to recover from the “recent storms linked to climate change,” along with other Caribbean countries hurt by the hurricanes. “Climate change and its consequences should not be a subject of speculation or debate,” Pres. Medina said, “It’s a truth which hits us and which causes great uncertainty.”
After sweeping through the Dominican Republic, Hurricane Maria’s winds classified it as a Category 2 storm. The National Weather Service, as of September 21, expects Maria to swerve away from Florida and head alongside the east coast of the United States.
The destruction from Maria is still unknown. Based on current reports, Hurricane Maria is responsible for at least 15 deaths, but with the power outages and continued flooding, the number of casualties is still uncertain.
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