When Will Hurricane Maria Hit Puerto Rico?

Hurricane Maria tore through the island of Dominica Monday as a Category 5 storm. The storm now heads toward Puerto Rico.

The storm’s winds are predicted to begin affecting Puerto Rico Tuesday night and the storm will strike the island at some point late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The NHC warned that the Maria may fluctuate in strength over the next few days, but should hit Puerto Rico as an “ extremely dangerous” Category 4 or 5 hurricane with winds of over 130 to 160 mph. Maximum sustained winds were recorded at around 160 mph Tuesday morning, making Maria a Category 5.

The Center warns that Puerto Rico could see between 12 to 18 inches of rain and in some isolated areas up to 25 inches. Puerto Rico could see storm surges between six and nine feet of water.

Evacuations began in areas of Puerto Rico as the island braces for the storm. Category 5 Hurricane Irma just skirted Puerto Rico earlier this month, causing power outages for most of the island. Maria will be much more destructive.

“This is an event that will be damaging to the infrastructure, that will be catastrophic,” said Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rosselló to CNN Tuesday. “Our only focus right now should be to make sure we save lives.”

Rosselló declared a state of emergency for Puerto Rico and President Donald Trump has made a federal emergency declaration, opening up federal disaster fund relief for Puerto Rico.

The island began opening up 450 shelters Monday afternoon.

Puerto Rico has been hit with only one Category 5 storm, in 1928, and the last Category 4 storm to make landfall on Puerto Rico was in 1932.