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| Hurricane Maria Live Updates: Catastrophic Flooding in Puerto Rico | Hurricane Maria Live Updates: Catastrophic Flooding in Puerto Rico |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Hurricane Maria regained “major hurricane status” early Thursday as it marched toward the Dominican Republic, bringing heavy rainfall there even as Puerto Rico was battling extensive floodwaters. | Hurricane Maria regained “major hurricane status” early Thursday as it marched toward the Dominican Republic, bringing heavy rainfall there even as Puerto Rico was battling extensive floodwaters. |
| The eye of the storm moved off Puerto Rico’s coast Wednesday afternoon, but Maria was still causing catastrophic flooding on the island early Thursday, the National Weather Service said. By 1 a.m., flash flood warnings were expanded to cover the entire island. | The eye of the storm moved off Puerto Rico’s coast Wednesday afternoon, but Maria was still causing catastrophic flooding on the island early Thursday, the National Weather Service said. By 1 a.m., flash flood warnings were expanded to cover the entire island. |
| “If possible, move to higher ground NOW!” the National Weather Service office in San Juan said. | “If possible, move to higher ground NOW!” the National Weather Service office in San Juan said. |
| The storm’s center passed near the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic early Thursday, and it was expected to approach the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas by Thursday night. It was upgraded early Thursday to a Category 3 storm, with sustained winds of up to 115 miles per hour, after losing some strength as it crossed Puerto Rico. | |
| Electricity was out across all of Puerto Rico, and Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew effective Wednesday until Saturday. “The damage is very extensive,” he said Wednesday night in an interview on CNN. “It is nothing short of a major disaster.” | Electricity was out across all of Puerto Rico, and Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew effective Wednesday until Saturday. “The damage is very extensive,” he said Wednesday night in an interview on CNN. “It is nothing short of a major disaster.” |
| Here’s the latest: | Here’s the latest: |
| • Forecasters say Puerto Rico will see about two feet of rain by Friday. Storm surges are expected to raise water levels as much as six feet in the Dominican Republic. | |
| • Governor Rosselló told CNN late Wednesday that officials knew of only one fatality in Puerto Rico but noted that they still could not communicate with the southeastern part of the island, which was hit earliest and hardest by the storm. “We still don’t have a lot of information,” he said. | |
| • Charles Jong, a spokesman for the government of Dominica, said Thursday that 14 people had died in that island nation. “The conditions on the ground in Dominica are very bad,” he said. Residents were without power and running water, and floodwaters had washed away many people’s stockpiles of food, he said. | |
| • Two people were also killed on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, officials said. | • Two people were also killed on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, officials said. |
| • Sign up for the Morning Briefing for hurricane news and a daily look at what you need to know to begin your day. Follow the storm’s path with our maps. | • Sign up for the Morning Briefing for hurricane news and a daily look at what you need to know to begin your day. Follow the storm’s path with our maps. |
| “This is just the beginning,” Governor Rosselló said in an interview with El Nuevo Día, the largest daily newspaper in Puerto Rico. “We know there are severe damages along different rivers and reservoirs, and water has overflowed from riverbanks, causing flooding,” he added. | “This is just the beginning,” Governor Rosselló said in an interview with El Nuevo Día, the largest daily newspaper in Puerto Rico. “We know there are severe damages along different rivers and reservoirs, and water has overflowed from riverbanks, causing flooding,” he added. |
| The island had not seen a Category 4 storm since 1932. Carlos Anselmi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Puerto Rico, said there had been “record-breaking” amounts of rain, with as much as 35 inches expected in some places. | The island had not seen a Category 4 storm since 1932. Carlos Anselmi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Puerto Rico, said there had been “record-breaking” amounts of rain, with as much as 35 inches expected in some places. |
| “There have been reports — multiple reports — of coastal flooding along the south, north and east of Puerto Rico,” he said. “We expect this to continue throughout Puerto Rico.” | “There have been reports — multiple reports — of coastal flooding along the south, north and east of Puerto Rico,” he said. “We expect this to continue throughout Puerto Rico.” |
| “Don’t leave your house, that’s the message,” he added. “Nobody in Puerto Rico should be on the street.” | “Don’t leave your house, that’s the message,” he added. “Nobody in Puerto Rico should be on the street.” |
| Local radio stations were reporting widespread devastation in coastal areas, but Ricardo Castrodad, a United States Coast Guard spokesman in Puerto Rico, said officials had not yet been able to make assessments. | Local radio stations were reporting widespread devastation in coastal areas, but Ricardo Castrodad, a United States Coast Guard spokesman in Puerto Rico, said officials had not yet been able to make assessments. |
| “I’m hunkered down weathering the storm in Guaynabo,” he said on Wednesday, adding that the winds were still blowing, “so we still can’t get out.” | “I’m hunkered down weathering the storm in Guaynabo,” he said on Wednesday, adding that the winds were still blowing, “so we still can’t get out.” |
| President Trump said on Wednesday that he had “never seen” winds like the ones generated by Hurricane Maria as it made landfall in Puerto Rico. | President Trump said on Wednesday that he had “never seen” winds like the ones generated by Hurricane Maria as it made landfall in Puerto Rico. |
| “We have a big one going right now — I’ve never seen winds like this — in Puerto Rico,” he said as he entered a meeting in New York with King Abdullah II of Jordan. “You take a look at what’s happening there, and it’s just one after another.” | “We have a big one going right now — I’ve never seen winds like this — in Puerto Rico,” he said as he entered a meeting in New York with King Abdullah II of Jordan. “You take a look at what’s happening there, and it’s just one after another.” |
| Late Wednesday, the White House declared the United States Virgin Islands a disaster area, to make federal funding available for residents of St. Croix. | Late Wednesday, the White House declared the United States Virgin Islands a disaster area, to make federal funding available for residents of St. Croix. |
| The king extended his “condolences” to residents in the path of the three storms that have hit the United States over the last several weeks, adding, “For us sitting on the outside, looking at how the Americans came together at a difficult time is really an example to everybody else.” | The king extended his “condolences” to residents in the path of the three storms that have hit the United States over the last several weeks, adding, “For us sitting on the outside, looking at how the Americans came together at a difficult time is really an example to everybody else.” |
| On CNN, Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said that the agency was well positioned to help on Puerto Rico and on the United States Virgin Islands. Mr. Long confirmed that both areas had fragile power systems, and he said it could be a long wait until power returned. | |
| “Almost every power pole is down,” said Emily Weston, a businesswoman who lives on the outskirts of Frederiksted on St. Croix. “All the wires are in the trees. There’s a lot of huge uprooted trees — old mahogany trees that have been around for 200 to 300 years, and they’re completely uprooted.” | “Almost every power pole is down,” said Emily Weston, a businesswoman who lives on the outskirts of Frederiksted on St. Croix. “All the wires are in the trees. There’s a lot of huge uprooted trees — old mahogany trees that have been around for 200 to 300 years, and they’re completely uprooted.” |