Hurricane Maria Hits Vieques And St. Croix: Pictures And Videos Show Damage

Hurricane Maria passed through the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix and the small Caribbean island of Vieques on its way toward Puerto Rico Wednesday. There has been limited access to reports from both islands, leaving many to wonder about the extent of the damages.

Internet users pleaded for updates about both Vieques and St. Croix, expressing frustration at the lack of information about both areas. Initial pictures and videos showed downed trees and other similar damage. The eyewall of the hurricane brushed St. Croix late Tuesday night into early Wednesday as a Category 5 storm. The hurricane brought winds of up to 90 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

“St. Croix and Vieques have taken a hard hit and will end up with much more damage and perhaps catastrophic damage when compared to Irma,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

Residents of the Virgin Islands were ushered to shelters Tuesday as a hurricane warning was in effect. Gov. Kenneth Mapp warned those on St. Croix that their lives could be in danger as the storm made its way to the island.

“You lose your life the moment you start thinking about how to save a few bucks to stop something from crashing or burning or falling apart,” Mapp said Tuesday. “The only thing that matters is the safety of your family, and your children and yourself. The rest of the stuff, forget it.”

The eyewall also passed over Vieques as a Category 5 early Wednesday morning, about 60 miles southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico.