Maria tears off roofs, triggers flooding in Puerto Rico

[DonViejo]

Source: Associated Press




By DANICA COTO
19 minutes ago

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in over 80 years pummeled the island Wednesday, tearing off roofs and doors, toppling cell towers and unleashing heavy flooding in an onslaught that could deepen the U.S. territory’s financial crisis.

Leaving at least nine people dead in its wake across the Caribbean, Hurricane Maria blew ashore in the morning in the southeast coastal town of Yabucoa as a Category 4 storm with winds of 155 mph (250 kph), and was expected to punish the island with life-threatening winds for 12 to 24 hours. It was the second time in less than two weeks that Puerto Rico felt the wrath of a hurricane.

As people waited it out in shelters or took cover inside stairwells, bathrooms and closets, Maria slowly crossed the island, knocking down communication towers, snapping trees and unloading at least 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain.

Widespread flooding was reported across the island, with dozens of cars half-submerged in some neighborhoods and many streets turned into rivers. People calling local radio stations reported that doors were being torn off their hinges and a water tank flew away.

Read more: https://apnews.com/5f2002103e2f42e4916efeda88d0e511/Maria-tears-off-roofs,-triggers-flooding-in-Puerto-Rico

[Stuart G]

1. k and r....twice in the space of a month? what can one say.?...k and r..nt

[Sunlei]

2. hope most people are hunkered down in the safer hardened concrete structures.