Hurricane Maria Slams Bahamas And Turks And Caicos

Hurricane Maria made its way to Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas Friday, lashing the islands with wind and rain as it passed near. The Category 3 storm remained about 30 miles east of Grand Turk island Thursday morning, moving at about 7 mph and packing winds of up to 125 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.

“Maria’s eye will move near or just east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas today,” the National Hurricane Center warned Friday morning.

Both Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas were under hurricane warnings. Turks and Caicos could see rainfall of up to 16 inches, with certain areas experiencing up to 20 inches, according to the Weather Channel. The southeastern Bahamas, meanwhile, could see rainfall of up to eight inches through Saturday.

Turks and Caicos was slammed by 155 mph winds from Category 5 Hurricane Irma earlier this month. The storm pummeled the islands, bringing waves as high as 20 feet and cutting off communication. The extent of the damage to Turks and Caicos was still being surveyed when the islands began preparing for Hurricane Maria this week.

Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic continued experiencing storm conditions as Maria moved away from the areas Friday. The tail end lingered in Puerto Rico, which experienced a direct hit earlier in the week, accumulating rainfall of up to 40 inches in some places, according to the National Hurricane Center. The entirety of the island remained without power in the wake of the storm, a situation that authorities said could last up to six months. President Donald Trump said Maria left Puerto Rico “totally obliterated” and said he would be visiting soon.

Around 700 people were rescued from floodwaters in Puerto Rico, according to Reuters. At least 13 people were killed on the island, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello told CNN.

“We have reports of complete devastation,” said Rossello. “Mudslides and surges, as well as flooding, continues.”

The small Caribbean island of Vieques, off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, was decimated by the storm. Family and friends pleaded on social media for information about their loved ones on the island after communication was severed by the hurricane. The U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix was also battered by Maria after the eye of the storm ripped through the island.

The storm is expected to slowly weaken over the next 48 hours before dissipating more rapidly as it reaches cold water. It remained unclear how much of an impact it would have on the east coast of the United States, though current forecasts predicted it should remain far enough off the coast to cause only high surf and dangerous rip currents.