Hurricane Maria Drops To Category 4 Storm, Continues To Roll Through Puerto Rico

By  //  September 20, 2017

ABOVE VIDEO: National forecast for Wednesday, September 20.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – National Hurricane Center has dropped Hurricane Maria to a Category 4 Hurricane after the report revealed 150 mph max sustained winds in the storm.

With the eye of Hurricane Maria continuing to move through the east portion of Puerto Rico, the forecast shows Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with a 6-9 feet storm surge in some spots.

The category 4 hurricane is continuing to move to the northwest at 10 mph.

National Hurricane Center anticipates Hurricane Maria will move with a west-northwest to northwest motion to continue through today, followed by a northwestward motion on Thursday.

According to the NHC, category 4 hurricanes will cause catastrophic damage. Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

National Hurricane Center has dropped Hurricane Maria to a Category 4 Hurricane after the report revealed 150 mph max sustained winds in the storm. (NHC Image)

Hurricane Warnings are in effect for the U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Culebra, Vieques, Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to Puerto Plata, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Southeastern Bahamas.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Saba, St. Maarten, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, Dominican Republic west of Puerto Plata to the northern border of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and Dominican Republic west of Cabo Engano to Punta Palenque.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150
miles, according to Forecaster Berg of the NHC.

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A sustained wind of 81 mph with a gust to 109 mph was recently reported at Yabucoa Harbor, Puerto Rico. A sustained wind of 63 mph with a gust to 118 mph was recently reported at Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico.

RAINFALL

Maria is expected to produce the following rain accumulations through Friday: (TWC Image)

Maria is expected to produce the following rain accumulations through Friday:

• Central Leeward Islands…additional 1 to 2 inches.
• Northern Leeward Islands from Barbuda to Anguilla…additional 2 to 5 inches.
• U.S. and British Virgin Islands…additional 8 to 12 inches, isolated 16 inches.
• Puerto Rico…12 to 18 inches, isolated 25 inches.
• Northern and eastern Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos…4 to 8 inches, isolated 12 inches.
• Northern Haiti and southeastern Bahamas…2 to 4 inches.

Rainfall on these islands will cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.

TORNADOES

Several tornadoes are possible over Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands today.

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