Hurricane Maria will be remembered as one of the most destructive of this season this year. After Irma, the most ideal thing would have been that no more cyclone formed, since the damage caused by it was terrible. But, at least for the moment, weather phenomena cannot be controlled.
Thus, tropical storms can get stronger, something they are getting faster and faster as ocean temperatures just keep rising. So, Maria sadly, has been able to continue causing many problems to the islands of the Caribbean Sea, especially to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Damages in Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria, which is currently on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, has been devastating. With winds of 250 kilometers per hour, it literally swept everything in its path. The material losses have been so great that, according to the mayor of the coastal city of Catañi, "it will take months, many months before we can recover from this."
The images and videos that come from there are dramatic: trees uprooted, houses destroyed, landslides, streets littered with debris… Still yesterday, Thursday, September 21, the island was still on alert for floods.
Damage in the Virgin Islands
The US Virgin Islands fared no better. María left its inhabitants without electricity, and the roads have become impassable. It is estimated that up to 70% of the buildings in Santa Cruz, a city of 55.000 inhabitants, have suffered damage.
Both territories, both Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, disaster areas have been declared by the White House. The cyclone has caused at least 34 deaths, 15 deaths in Puerto Rico, 15 in Dominica, three in Haiti and one in Guadeloupe.
Where are you heading now?
The winds of Maria, now a category 3 hurricane, They could hit the Bahamas this afternoon. While it could strengthen in the coming days, it is highly unlikely that it will ever touch the shores of the United States.