Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico Wednesday as a powerful Category 4 storm.
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello warned that Maria would cause the island to “lose a lot of infrastructure.”
“We’re going to have to rebuild,” he said.
As Maria continued across the Atlantic Ocean, it threatened Caribbean islands already left devastated by Hurricane Irma earlier this month.
The storm’s center passed near or over St. Croix, which is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands, overnight Tuesday.
St. Croix was largely spared the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Irma on St. Thomas and St. John just two weeks ago. This time, the island would experience five hours of hurricane force winds, U.S. Virgin Islands. Gov. Kenneth Mapp said.
The aftermath of Hurricane Maria on Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(Courtesy of Alesia Georgiou)
Below is what you should know about Maria’s path.
Where is Maria today?
Hurricane Maria is about 15 miles east-southeast of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11 a.m. ET advisory Wednesday.
HURRICANE WARNING VS. WATCH: HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT?
The storm is traveling northwest at about 12 mph with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph.
What else should I know about the hurricane?
Maria has killed at least nine people in the Caribbean.
WHAT IS THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE?
The U.S. Virgin Islands, along with the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Culebra, Vieques, the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southeastern Bahamas are all under a hurricane warning, the National Hurricane Center said.
“A warning means that hurricane conditions are expected whereas a watch means that conditions are possible,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service.
The aftermath of Hurricane Maria on Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(Courtesy of Alesia Georgiou)
Maria already ravaged the Caribbean nation of Dominica, leaving “widespread devastation,” according to Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.
“So far we have lost all what money can buy and replace,” Skerrit said. “I am honestly not preoccupied with physical damage at this time, because it is devastating … Indeed, mind boggling. My focus now is in rescuing the trapped and securing medical assistance for the injured.”
Fox News’ Kaitlyn Schallhorn and Zoe Szathmary and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
