The powerful, Category 5 Hurricane Maria continues to get stronger as it follows a path that puts it on track to hit the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Hurricane warnings have been given to the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Culebra, and Vieques, as well as parts of the Dominican Republic. It is predicted that the hurricane will reach these locations in the next 36 hours. The National Hurricane Center estimates that eye of the storm is likely to pass directly over Puerto Rico on Wednesday.
The storm has recorded sustained wind speeds of 175 mph and has first struck the island of Dominica, Monday night. Roosevelt Skerrit, the prime minister of the island nation posted an update on Facebook, saying he has received reports of "widespread devastation" on the island.
"Initial reports are of widespread devastation. So far we have lost all what money can buy and replace," the head of state said. "So, far the winds have swept away the roofs of almost every person I have spoken to or otherwise made contact with." The prime minister himself did not escape the storm's devastation, as he also said that the roof of his official residence was one of the first to be swept away by Maria.
While it is still too early to predict whether Hurricane Maria will hit continental U.S., most probable models are predicting that the storm will turn north before it reaches Florida.
Florida was recently struck by Hurricane Irma, which was one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record. Irma caused 84 fatalities in the Caribbean and 33 in Florida. It also caused massive damage to property and agriculture and left thousands of people homeless.
Days before Hurricane Irma's devastation, the Houston metropolitan area in Texas also suffered from another powerful storm, Hurricane Harvey.
