Powerful storm marches toward Turks and Caicos

Hurricane Maria’s deadly winds were soaring toward the Turks and Caicos islands Friday, leaving Puerto Rico devastated in its wake and causing panic and fear on its last apparent stop in the Caribbean.

Maria, a Category 3 storm, brings the threat of more heavy rain and flash floods. Its death toll across the Caribbean has climbed to at least 27. At least 15 died on Dominica and six on Puerto Rico. Three also died on Haiti, two on Guadeloupe and one in the Dominican Republic.

Puerto Rico’s government called the storm the worst in a century. Havoc continued throughout the island Friday as a dam failed and caused potentially deadly flooding on Puerto Rico’s Guajataca River. The BBC reported Friday that buses were evacuating people.

In Haiti, authorities reported two people were killed during a lightning strike in the community of Cornillon, and a 45- year- old man died while trying to cross a river Thursdaymorning. Authorities said northern areas of Haiti were pounded by heavy rain from Maria.

At 5 p. m. ET Friday, the U. S. National Hurricane Center said Maria was centered 395 miles east- southeast of Nassau, with winds of 125 mph, and moving north- northwest at 9 mph. It said the storm should turn to the north by late Saturday.

In Dominica, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit cried as he spoke to a reporter on the nearby island of Antigua. “We have buried in excess of 15 people,” he said. “It is amiracle there were not hundreds of deaths.”