Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm Wednesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.
While the storm's maximum sustained winds had dropped to 145 mph by 9 a.m. ET, it still threatened to do severe damage to the U.S. territory. A Category 4 storm has not hit the island since 1932.
Maria was moving at 13 mph and the storm's eye was located about 15 miles away from Puerto Rico's capital, San Juan, as of 9 a.m.
A weather station near Arecibo, some 43 miles from San Juan, recently reported a sustained wind of 71 mph and a wind gust of 91 mph.
"This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation," the National Hurricane Center warned.
Storm surge was predicted to be 6 to 9 feet in coastal Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Rainfall totals for Puerto Rico were projected at 12 to 18 inches, with as much as 25 inches in isolated areas.
Maria is also forecast to approach the Dominican Republic, where conditions will deteriorate Wednesday evening as Maria passes just north of Punta Cana around midnight.
While the storm's maximum sustained winds had dropped to 145 mph by 9 a.m. ET, it still threatened to do severe damage to the U.S. territory. A Category 4 storm has not hit the island since 1932.
Maria was moving at 13 mph and the storm's eye was located about 15 miles away from Puerto Rico's capital, San Juan, as of 9 a.m.
A weather station near Arecibo, some 43 miles from San Juan, recently reported a sustained wind of 71 mph and a wind gust of 91 mph.
"This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation," the National Hurricane Center warned.
Storm surge was predicted to be 6 to 9 feet in coastal Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Rainfall totals for Puerto Rico were projected at 12 to 18 inches, with as much as 25 inches in isolated areas.
Maria is also forecast to approach the Dominican Republic, where conditions will deteriorate Wednesday evening as Maria passes just north of Punta Cana around midnight.
