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| Hurricane Maria Live Updates: Puerto Rico Loses Power and Sets a Curfew | Hurricane Maria Live Updates: Puerto Rico Loses Power and Sets a Curfew |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| SAN JUAN, P.R. — Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico with a one-two punch of high winds and driving rain before beginning its deliberate march toward the Dominican Republic late on Wednesday as a weakened Category 2 storm. | SAN JUAN, P.R. — Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico with a one-two punch of high winds and driving rain before beginning its deliberate march toward the Dominican Republic late on Wednesday as a weakened Category 2 storm. |
| The storm took “quite a hit” from Puerto Rico’s high mountains, the National Hurricane Center said in an update late Wednesday. Still, officials warned that Maria could regain its “major hurricane status” by Thursday. | The storm took “quite a hit” from Puerto Rico’s high mountains, the National Hurricane Center said in an update late Wednesday. Still, officials warned that Maria could regain its “major hurricane status” by Thursday. |
| Forecasters said Maria left Puerto Rico around 2 p.m. on Wednesday and was hovering off its northwest coast about three hours later. Officials expect the strong winds and storm surge flooding there to subside by early Thursday. Heavy rain, however, is expected to continue. | |
| The storm’s center is expected to pass near the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic starting on Wednesday evening, then approach the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas by sometime Thursday night, according to a hurricane center advisory. | |
| In the meantime, the countries already battered by Maria were scrambling on Wednesday to recover. And weather officials said “catastrophic” flash flooding was still occurring on Puerto Rico as of 8 p.m. Wednesday. | |
| Electricity was knocked out across all of the island, a spokeswoman for the Puerto Rico State Agency for Emergency and Disaster Management said. Strong winds were still being felt Wednesday afternoon in the San Juan suburbs, added Ricardo Castrodad, a spokesman for the United States Coast Guard in Puerto Rico. | |
| The authorities warned weary residents not to let down their guard, because flash flooding and mudslides could prove more deadly than the initial winds from the storm. | The authorities warned weary residents not to let down their guard, because flash flooding and mudslides could prove more deadly than the initial winds from the storm. |
| The governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, announced a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew effective Wednesday until Saturday. Thousands of people there were scrambling to hundreds of shelters, some of which Mr. Rosselló acknowledged might not be storm-worthy. | The governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, announced a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew effective Wednesday until Saturday. Thousands of people there were scrambling to hundreds of shelters, some of which Mr. Rosselló acknowledged might not be storm-worthy. |
| “We find ourselves in a critical phase to help the thousands of Puerto Ricans who urgently need help and to determine the serious damages caused by Hurricane Maria,” he said in a statement. | “We find ourselves in a critical phase to help the thousands of Puerto Ricans who urgently need help and to determine the serious damages caused by Hurricane Maria,” he said in a statement. |
| Here’s the latest: | Here’s the latest: |
| • The storm made landfall at Yabucoa in Puerto Rico’s southeast shortly after 6 a.m. Wednesday, as a Category 4 storm with winds as strong as 155 miles per hour. It had crossed the United States Virgin Islands as a Category 5 storm, then weakened. Its winds were blowing about 110 miles per hour on Wednesday evening. | • The storm made landfall at Yabucoa in Puerto Rico’s southeast shortly after 6 a.m. Wednesday, as a Category 4 storm with winds as strong as 155 miles per hour. It had crossed the United States Virgin Islands as a Category 5 storm, then weakened. Its winds were blowing about 110 miles per hour on Wednesday evening. |
| • Forecasters say Puerto Rico will see about two feet of rain by Friday. Storm surges are expected to raise water levels by as much as six feet in the Dominican Republic. | • Forecasters say Puerto Rico will see about two feet of rain by Friday. Storm surges are expected to raise water levels by as much as six feet in the Dominican Republic. |
| • Hartley Henry, an adviser to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that there had been seven confirmed deaths from Hurricane Maria on that island. Two people were also killed on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, officials said. | • Hartley Henry, an adviser to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that there had been seven confirmed deaths from Hurricane Maria on that island. Two people were also killed on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, officials said. |
| • Officials at Ross University Medical School on Dominica said they planned to evacuate students and others by boat to St. Lucia. | • Officials at Ross University Medical School on Dominica said they planned to evacuate students and others by boat to St. Lucia. |
| • Sign up for the Morning Briefing for hurricane news and a daily look at what you need to know to begin your day. Follow the storm’s path with our maps. | • Sign up for the Morning Briefing for hurricane news and a daily look at what you need to know to begin your day. Follow the storm’s path with our maps. |
| “This is just the beginning,” Mr. Rosselló said in an interview with El Nuevo Dia, the largest daily newspaper in Puerto Rico. “We know there are severe damages along different rivers and reservoirs, and water has overflowed from riverbanks, causing flooding,” he added. | “This is just the beginning,” Mr. Rosselló said in an interview with El Nuevo Dia, the largest daily newspaper in Puerto Rico. “We know there are severe damages along different rivers and reservoirs, and water has overflowed from riverbanks, causing flooding,” he added. |
| The island had not seen a Category 4 storm since 1932. | The island had not seen a Category 4 storm since 1932. |
| Carlos Anselmi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Puerto Rico, said there had been “record-breaking” amounts of rain, with as much as 35 inches expected in some places. “There have been reports — multiple reports — of coastal flooding along the south, north and east of Puerto Rico,” he said. “We expect this to continue throughout Puerto Rico.” | Carlos Anselmi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Puerto Rico, said there had been “record-breaking” amounts of rain, with as much as 35 inches expected in some places. “There have been reports — multiple reports — of coastal flooding along the south, north and east of Puerto Rico,” he said. “We expect this to continue throughout Puerto Rico.” |
| “Don’t leave your house, that’s the message,” he added. “Nobody in Puerto Rico should be on the street.” | “Don’t leave your house, that’s the message,” he added. “Nobody in Puerto Rico should be on the street.” |
| Local radio stations were reporting widespread devastation in coastal areas, but Mr. Castrodad, the Coast Guard spokesman, said officials had not yet been able to make assessments. | Local radio stations were reporting widespread devastation in coastal areas, but Mr. Castrodad, the Coast Guard spokesman, said officials had not yet been able to make assessments. |
| “I’m hunkered down weathering the storm in Guaynabo,” he said on Wednesday, adding that the winds were still blowing, “so we still can’t get out.” | “I’m hunkered down weathering the storm in Guaynabo,” he said on Wednesday, adding that the winds were still blowing, “so we still can’t get out.” |
| Residents of Puerto Rico braced for a more direct hit from Maria than it had from Irma, which killed three people there and knocked out power to many. | Residents of Puerto Rico braced for a more direct hit from Maria than it had from Irma, which killed three people there and knocked out power to many. |
| As the storm moved in, Jerika Llano, 27, took refuge with three family members in her concrete home in Bayamón, a town near the island’s capital. She said the wind was “blowing hard and screaming.” | As the storm moved in, Jerika Llano, 27, took refuge with three family members in her concrete home in Bayamón, a town near the island’s capital. She said the wind was “blowing hard and screaming.” |
| “Almost all the trees have fallen, and I can see aluminum roofs flying,” she said. “The doors and gates vibrate because of the power of the gusts.” | “Almost all the trees have fallen, and I can see aluminum roofs flying,” she said. “The doors and gates vibrate because of the power of the gusts.” |
| As locals peeked out from their shelters to survey the damage on Wednesday evening, some were incredulous. | As locals peeked out from their shelters to survey the damage on Wednesday evening, some were incredulous. |
| Utility poles had snapped like twigs, blocking what seemed like all the roads that weren’t flooded; metal gates that once enclosed affluent neighborhoods were crumpled beyond recognition; gas station pumps were tipped over like domino tiles. Entire houses had disappeared. | Utility poles had snapped like twigs, blocking what seemed like all the roads that weren’t flooded; metal gates that once enclosed affluent neighborhoods were crumpled beyond recognition; gas station pumps were tipped over like domino tiles. Entire houses had disappeared. |
| “This looks like a different country,” said Marimar de la Cruz, an educational consultant, as she viewed the destruction in Hato Rey, a San Juan neighborhood. | “This looks like a different country,” said Marimar de la Cruz, an educational consultant, as she viewed the destruction in Hato Rey, a San Juan neighborhood. |
| President Trump said on Wednesday that he had “never seen” winds like the ones generated by Hurricane Maria as it made landfall in Puerto Rico. | President Trump said on Wednesday that he had “never seen” winds like the ones generated by Hurricane Maria as it made landfall in Puerto Rico. |
| “We have a big one going right now — I’ve never seen winds like this — in Puerto Rico,” he said as he entered a meeting in New York with King Abdullah II of Jordan. “You take a look at what’s happening there, and it’s just one after another.” | “We have a big one going right now — I’ve never seen winds like this — in Puerto Rico,” he said as he entered a meeting in New York with King Abdullah II of Jordan. “You take a look at what’s happening there, and it’s just one after another.” |
| The king extended his “condolences” to residents in the path of the three storms that have hit the United States over the last several weeks, adding, “For us sitting on the outside, looking at how the Americans came together at a difficult time, is really an example to everybody else.” | The king extended his “condolences” to residents in the path of the three storms that have hit the United States over the last several weeks, adding, “For us sitting on the outside, looking at how the Americans came together at a difficult time, is really an example to everybody else.” |
| On CNN, Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said that the agency was well positioned to help on Puerto Rico and on the United States Virgin Islands. | On CNN, Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said that the agency was well positioned to help on Puerto Rico and on the United States Virgin Islands. |
| Mr. Long confirmed that both areas had fragile power systems. “It’s going to be a very frustrating event to get the power back on,” he said. | Mr. Long confirmed that both areas had fragile power systems. “It’s going to be a very frustrating event to get the power back on,” he said. |
| Residents of the Virgin Islands, whose homes were damaged by Irma two weeks ago, had been urged to find new shelters to ride out Maria. | Residents of the Virgin Islands, whose homes were damaged by Irma two weeks ago, had been urged to find new shelters to ride out Maria. |
| The storm began pounding the Virgin Islands on Tuesday evening, and a flash-flood alert was sent to residents’ cellphones at 10:05 p.m., Gov. Kenneth E. Mapp of the United States Virgin Islands said. He had warned that hurricane-strength winds were likely to batter the islands until Wednesday morning. | The storm began pounding the Virgin Islands on Tuesday evening, and a flash-flood alert was sent to residents’ cellphones at 10:05 p.m., Gov. Kenneth E. Mapp of the United States Virgin Islands said. He had warned that hurricane-strength winds were likely to batter the islands until Wednesday morning. |
| The core of the storm passed south of the Virgin Islands, with the outer eyewall lashing St. Croix. | The core of the storm passed south of the Virgin Islands, with the outer eyewall lashing St. Croix. |
| “There was howling in every part of this house,” said Ernice Gilbert, a journalist who lives on the east side of the island. “In my area, the winds were ferocious. But the bulk of the winds were expected to hit strongest in the southwest.” | “There was howling in every part of this house,” said Ernice Gilbert, a journalist who lives on the east side of the island. “In my area, the winds were ferocious. But the bulk of the winds were expected to hit strongest in the southwest.” |
| At one point, he said, the rafters of his house began “cracking,” and part of his wall had cracked. The strong winds forced him to barricade his doors with couches, Mr. Gilbert said. | At one point, he said, the rafters of his house began “cracking,” and part of his wall had cracked. The strong winds forced him to barricade his doors with couches, Mr. Gilbert said. |
| “That was the scariest portion of the ordeal for me,” he said by telephone. | “That was the scariest portion of the ordeal for me,” he said by telephone. |
| Communications were largely out across the United States Virgin Islands on Wednesday, and its government was assessing the damage, said Garry Green, the emergency operations supervisor at the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency. | Communications were largely out across the United States Virgin Islands on Wednesday, and its government was assessing the damage, said Garry Green, the emergency operations supervisor at the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency. |
| The United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism said on Wednesday that it was encouraging travelers to postpone trips to the islands. | |
| Maria had battered the island nation of Dominica a day earlier. Prime Minister Skerrit described the damage as “mind-boggling” and wrote on Facebook that he had to be rescued after winds ripped the roof off his official residence. But little information has emerged since then, with the storm having taken out phone and power lines on the island. | Maria had battered the island nation of Dominica a day earlier. Prime Minister Skerrit described the damage as “mind-boggling” and wrote on Facebook that he had to be rescued after winds ripped the roof off his official residence. But little information has emerged since then, with the storm having taken out phone and power lines on the island. |