Wrath of Hurricane Maria leaves the whole of Puerto Rico without power
The strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in more than 80 years destroyed hundreds of homes, knocked out power across the entire island and triggered heavy flooding.
Hurricane Maria had already left at least nine people dead in its wake across the Caribbean, blowing ashore in the morning in the south-east coastal town of Yabucoa as a Category 4 storm with winds of 155mph.
It was expected to punish the island of 3.4 million people with life-threatening winds for 12 to 24 hours.
“Once we’re able to go outside, we’re going to find our island destroyed,” said Abner Gomez, Puerto Rico’s emergency management director. “The information we have received is not encouraging. It’s a system that has destroyed everything in its path.”
It was the second time in two weeks that Puerto Rico felt the wrath of a hurricane.
UK troops and residents meanwhile were bracing themselves as Hurricane Maria sweeps towards British overseas territories already battered by Irma.
After rolling by the British Virgin Islands, the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said the storm has decreased as it begins to barrel towards the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The centre said preparations against a “life-threatening storm surge and rainfall, flooding and destructive winds” should be “rushed to completion”.
Dominica, where Maria made landfall on Monday, lost nearly all its communications as the storm knocked out phone lines and the island’s broadcast service, and 70 per cent of properties lost their roofs according to reports.
International Development Secretary Priti Patel has described the situation as an “unprecedented crisis” and stressed the UK government is “working flat out”.
The NHC said: “Little change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Maria is expected to remain a dangerous major hurricane through Friday.”
Emergency steps are being undertaken on the Turks and Caicos Islands to prepare for the looming onslaught, with sustained wind speeds predicted to reach 140mph from Thursday.
Relief workers are striving to secure debris left strewn after Irma, as loose items have the potential to make the coming hurricane “more hazardous” if they are picked up by high winds. Brigadier John Ridge, second in command of the UK’S Joint Task Force, said officials are “continuing to track Maria” as it rolls through the Caribbean region.
Ms Patel said: “The UK government is working flat out to put the right supplies in the right places.”