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| Hurricane Maria Does ‘Mind Boggling’ Damage to Dominica, Leader Says | Hurricane Maria Does ‘Mind Boggling’ Damage to Dominica, Leader Says |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Caribbean island nation of Dominica sustained “mind boggling” damage from Hurricane Maria, its prime minister said on Tuesday, after the storm hit with maximum sustained winds of nearly 160 miles per hour that ripped roofs off buildings, including his own home. | The Caribbean island nation of Dominica sustained “mind boggling” damage from Hurricane Maria, its prime minister said on Tuesday, after the storm hit with maximum sustained winds of nearly 160 miles per hour that ripped roofs off buildings, including his own home. |
| There was no immediate word of deaths or injuries on the island from Maria, the third in a string of devastating hurricanes to sweep through the region in recent weeks. | There was no immediate word of deaths or injuries on the island from Maria, the third in a string of devastating hurricanes to sweep through the region in recent weeks. |
| The National Hurricane Center said Tuesday morning that Maria, now moving away from Dominica, had regained Category 5 strength, after briefly dropping to Category 4. The “potentially catastrophic” storm is expected to approach the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Tuesday night and Wednesday, the center said. | |
| Roosevelt Skerrit, Dominica’s prime minister, wrote on Facebook earlier Tuesday that the island nation of 72,000 had experienced “widespread devastation,” based on initial reports. | Roosevelt Skerrit, Dominica’s prime minister, wrote on Facebook earlier Tuesday that the island nation of 72,000 had experienced “widespread devastation,” based on initial reports. |
| “So far we have lost all what money can buy and replace,” he said. “My greatest fear for the morning is that we will wake to news of serious physical injury and possible deaths as a result of likely landslides triggered by persistent rains.” | “So far we have lost all what money can buy and replace,” he said. “My greatest fear for the morning is that we will wake to news of serious physical injury and possible deaths as a result of likely landslides triggered by persistent rains.” |
| Mr. Skerrit said that “the winds have swept away the roofs of almost every person I have spoken to or otherwise made contact with.” On Monday night, he had said on Facebook that he had to be rescued after the storm tore the roof off his own official residence. | Mr. Skerrit said that “the winds have swept away the roofs of almost every person I have spoken to or otherwise made contact with.” On Monday night, he had said on Facebook that he had to be rescued after the storm tore the roof off his own official residence. |
| He said the island’s immediate priority was to rescue people who were trapped and provide medical care to the injured. “I am honestly not preoccupied with physical damage at this time, because it is devastating … indeed, mind boggling,” Mr. Skerrit said. | He said the island’s immediate priority was to rescue people who were trapped and provide medical care to the injured. “I am honestly not preoccupied with physical damage at this time, because it is devastating … indeed, mind boggling,” Mr. Skerrit said. |
| As of early Tuesday morning, soon after the prime minister posted his most recent Facebook entry, phone and internet signals on Dominica appeared to be down, leaving the island virtually incommunicado. | |
| The storm had strengthened to Category 5, with maximum sustained winds near 160 m.p.h., hours before the eye passed over Dominica. Just over a day earlier it had been a tropical storm, but wind speeds had increased by 90 m.p.h. within 27 hours, the National Weather Service said. | The storm had strengthened to Category 5, with maximum sustained winds near 160 m.p.h., hours before the eye passed over Dominica. Just over a day earlier it had been a tropical storm, but wind speeds had increased by 90 m.p.h. within 27 hours, the National Weather Service said. |
| After hitting Dominica, Maria weakened to Category 4 and continued northwest, with the eye of the storm passing south of the French island of Guadeloupe, before regaining strength. | After hitting Dominica, Maria weakened to Category 4 and continued northwest, with the eye of the storm passing south of the French island of Guadeloupe, before regaining strength. |
| Guadeloupe, which avoided the worst of Hurricane Irma, has been a staging ground for the regional aid response to that storm. It has also been a refuge for people from St. Martin, an island that was hit hard by Irma two weeks ago. So the arrival of Maria could compound the difficulties involved in recovering from the disasters. | Guadeloupe, which avoided the worst of Hurricane Irma, has been a staging ground for the regional aid response to that storm. It has also been a refuge for people from St. Martin, an island that was hit hard by Irma two weeks ago. So the arrival of Maria could compound the difficulties involved in recovering from the disasters. |
| The storm appeared to have knocked out Dominica’s radio stations, and Mr. Skerrit’s Facebook feed became the most prominent source of news about the storm’s arrival. | The storm appeared to have knocked out Dominica’s radio stations, and Mr. Skerrit’s Facebook feed became the most prominent source of news about the storm’s arrival. |
| “Rough! Rough! Rough!” he wrote as the storm hit. | “Rough! Rough! Rough!” he wrote as the storm hit. |
| “I am at the complete mercy of the hurricane,” he said before he announced he had been rescued. “House is flooding.” | “I am at the complete mercy of the hurricane,” he said before he announced he had been rescued. “House is flooding.” |
| He said Tuesday morning that it was too early to discuss the condition of the island’s airports and seaports, but he expected them to be inoperable for a few days. He asked “friendly nations and organizations” to provide a helicopter so that he could survey the damage. | He said Tuesday morning that it was too early to discuss the condition of the island’s airports and seaports, but he expected them to be inoperable for a few days. He asked “friendly nations and organizations” to provide a helicopter so that he could survey the damage. |
| “We will need help, my friend, we will need help of all kinds,” he said. | “We will need help, my friend, we will need help of all kinds,” he said. |