Source: HECTOR RETAMAL / Getty
Hurricane Maria, steadily moving northeast towards the Dominican Republic, left Puerto Rico in a state of destruction on Wednesday and Thursday.
A power outage which is expected to last for four to six months will leave approximately 4.3 million people without power, according to Ricardo Ramos, the CEO of Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló called the hurricane the “most devastating storm to hit the island this century, if not in modern history.”
The hurricane which has now been downgraded to a category 3 storm, whipped down on the island, flooding homes and leaving residents stranded. Rescue efforts are currently underway in search of missing persons.
Forecasters predict the storm will pick up after crossing warmer climates in Turks and Caicos.
But the storm is wreaking havoc on the DR, with winds of 115 mph, CNN reports. The hurricane is expected to unleash 16 inches of rain on separate parts of the island. Turks and Caicos is preparing for the same fate.
Several areas of the Caribbean were left desolate including the island of Dominica, which was previously hammered by Hurricane Irma.
Maria claimed the lives of at least 14 people, CNN reports. Charles Jong, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s office, said the storm left residents in “survival mode.”
SOURCE: CNN
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