Hurricane Maria, now a catastrophic category four storm, slammed St. Croix early Wednesday morning and has now officially made landfall on the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico.
.@JaniceDean on Hurricane Maria: "This is going to devastate, unfortunately, Puerto Rico." https://t.co/HeBrxZtSJK pic.twitter.com/5yepBqPnFf
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 20, 2017
Current Position and Track
Maria moved past St. Croix in the early hours of Wednesday morning and then made landfall at 6:15 AST the same day.
Landfall
The National Hurricane Center issued an update stating that Maria had made landfall near Yabucoa, Puerto Rico at 6:15 am local time.
Video from San Juan, Puerto Rico shows how the capital is faring as the storm makes landfall in the southeast.
WATCH: What it looks like in San Juan as Hurricane Maria moves ashore in Puerto Rico with 155 mph winds
(Via @GadiNBC) pic.twitter.com/K6fjL0cisG
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 20, 2017
%CODE%
Position and Strength Update (9/20 0500 EDT)
- Location: 18.0N 65.8W, Landfall, Puerto Rico
- Max Winds: 155 MPH
- Movement: NW (305 deg.) at 10 MPH
- Central Pressure: 917 mb
Flooding Risks (Storm Surge and Rainfall
A 6-9 ft storm surge with waves reaching higher is expected to slam Puerto Rico. The island is also forecast to receive 12 to 18 inches of rain with isolated areas getting up to 25 inches.
