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Hurricane Maria Knocks Out Power, Floods Puerto Rico

by VOA News

   Hurricane Maria dropped more heavy rain Thursday on Puerto Rico after
   knocking out power across the entire island, flooding many areas and
   killing at least one person.

   The storm was the strongest hurricane to hit the U.S. territory in
   almost 90 years.

   "When we are able to go outside, we are going to find our island
   destroyed," said Abner Gomez, who heads Puerto Rico's emergency
   management agency.

   More than 11,000 people took cover in the hundreds of shelters set up
   across Puerto Rico, while others rode out the storm in their homes.
   Hurricane Maria has dropped 50 centimeters (19 inches) of rain in some
   places, while its strong winds took down power lines and cellphone
   towers and blew off roofs.

   The National Weather Service office in San Juan said "catastrophic
   flooding" continued Thursday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center
   expected the water levels and high winds to subside during the day as
   the storm moves away.

   The center of Maria will pass offshore north of the Dominican Republic
   Thursday and approach the Turks and Caicos Islands by early Friday. The
   latest advisories said the storm packed maximum sustained winds of
   about 175 kilometers per hour (109 mph), and forecasters said Maria
   will strengthen some.

   Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello imposed a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6
   a.m. daily until Saturday to allow rescue crews and officials to
   respond to the hurricane's aftermath.

   He also thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his support.

   Rossello has asked Trump to declare Puerto Rico a disaster area, which
   would allow the federal government to provide funding for temporary
   housing, home repairs and low-cost loans for property damages not
   covered by insurance.

   The White House announced late Wednesday that Trump has approved a
   disaster declaration for the U.S. Virgin Islands, which Hurricane Maria
   battered on its way to Puerto Rico. The island of St. Croix was the
   hardest hit there, after sustaining damage from another powerful storm,
   Hurricane Irma, earlier this month.

   "After touring damaged neighborhoods across St. Croix, my prayer is for
   renewed strength and resolve to rebuild all of our islands in the wake
   of these two terrible storms," said U.S. Virgin Islands Governor
   Kenneth Mapp.

   The territory's tourism department also issued a statement encouraging
   those who planned to visit to postpone their trips for now as officials
   evaluate the damage and coordinate relief efforts.

   In addition to the one reported death in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria
   has left at least nine people dead across the Caribbean.

   The hurricane went directly over the island of Dominica, while also
   nearly making landfall in Guadeloupe.

   Hartley Henry, an adviser to the prime minister of Dominica, said
   Wednesday the country was "in a daze" and had no electricity and little
   communications. He described the damage as including a "tremendous loss
   of housing and public buildings."