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Caribbean under threat as Hurricane Maria gains steam
by Joseph Earnest September 18, 2017
Newscast Media SAN JUAN—Hurricane Maria has rapidly intensified into the fourth major (Category 3 or stronger) hurricane of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, and will deliver a powerful strike on the Leeward Islands, followed by a potentially devastating hit on the already storm-weary Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, parts of which are still recovering from Hurricane Irma less than two weeks ago.
A hurricane warning is now in effect for both the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, and remains in effect for Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Martinique and St. Lucia. A tropical storm warning has been issued for Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius.
Hurricane watches include Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra, as well as Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy and Anguilla.
Tropical storm watches have been posted for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Maria may bring a devastating combination of storm surge flooding, destructive winds and torrential rain to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, potentially as Category 4 or 5 hurricane Wednesday.
Residents and visitors in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands should be making preparations immediately for this upcoming hurricane strike.
Conditions may begin to deteriorate starting Tuesday in the Virgin Islands and then spread west toward Puerto Rico by Wednesday. Portions of the Dominican Republic and Haiti could see impacts from Maria begin as early as Thursday.
Parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands may see 6 to 12 inches of rain, with locally up to 25 inches in some areas, through early Thursday. This has the potential to produce widespread, life-threatening flooding and mudslides.
Whether Maria will ever pose an East Coast threat will depend on steering currents in the upper atmosphere over the western Atlantic Ocean and the eastern United States that cannot be pinned down more than a week in advance.
If Maria would strike the U.S., and again, that is not by any means a certainty, that would not happen until early next week. Add Comments>>
Source: Weather Channel
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