Puerto Rico was facing dangerous flooding and an islandwide power outage yesterday, following Hurricane Maria as the death toll from the powerful storm topped 15 in the tiny Caribbean island of Dominica.
USPresident Donald Trump declared Puerto Rico a disaster zone and said Maria had “obliterated” the densely populated US territory of 3.4 million people.
Governor Ricardo Rossello called Maria “the most devastating storm in a century” and said the island was having to contend with a total breakdown of its electricity and telecommunications infrastructure.
Rossello warned that expected heavy rainfall over the next few days could cause deadly flooding and mudslides.
“The biggest concern is the amount of rain and flooding, particularly in the west,” Rossello told WAPA radio. “We expect up to 25 inches (63 centimetres) from the tail of the hurricane.”
The storm has been blamed for at least 18 deaths, including 15 in Dominica, two in Guadeloupe and one in northern Puerto Rico’s Bayamon district, where a man was struck by a board he had used to cover his windows.
Source: Jamaica Observer
