COLUMBIA, SC (WLTX) - Maria remains a Category 3 hurricane, but she has gained a little strength as she continues to head toward the Turks and Caicos Islands.

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the storm's maximum sustained winds were at 120 miles an hour, and more strengthening is possible during the next day or so.

Maria is moving toward the northwest near 9 mph, and this general motion is expected through Thursday night. A turn toward the north-northwest is forecast for early Friday, with that motion expected to continue through early Saturday.

Maria's eye will continue to pass offshore of the northern coast of the Dominican Republic today, and then move near or just east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas Thursday night and Friday.

It's still too early to say definitively where Maria will go once it leaves the islands.

However, computer models have been consistent for the last three days in showing the storm turning away from the U.S. mainland, or at least staying well offshore from South Carolina.

However, we caution that forecast models can change, and it's far too early to give any kind of "all clear." The storm will require close monitoring over the next several days.

There are no watches or warnings in the state, and we are not in any 'cone of uncertainty.'

Remember, the reason the National Hurricane Center only puts out a five-day cone is because beyond that point, the models get much less accurate. Even at four and five days, there's uncertainty. (Which is why you see the 'cone' get bigger as toward the end.)

Understand, the computer models keep shifting, and will shift again in the coming days. We saw that with Irma, and frankly speaking, we see that with any storm that forms in the Atlantic. As new data comes in, the models change.

As always, our weather team will be keeping you up-to-date on the storm. You'll be able to fine those here on WLTX.com, on air, and on our Facebook page and by following us on Twitter @WLTX</s>The Category 3 storm lashed the Dominican Republic and left homes destroyed, streets flooded and the power out in Puerto Rico as it moves towards the Turks and Caicos.</s>The US National Hurricane Center says Maria has regained its major hurricane status, rising to a Category 3 storm early Thursday.

An update from the Miami-based center says maximum sustained winds have increased to near 115 mph (185 kph) with higher gusts.

Maria's fierce core was centered about 55 miles (85 kilometers) northeast of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. It will continue to move away from Puerto Rico during the next several hours, and then pass offshore of the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic early Thursday. Maria should then move near the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas tonight and Friday.

President Donald Trump has declared a major disaster in the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricane Maria hit. Trump's action early Thursday makes federal funding available to people on the island of St. Croix.</s>Hurricane Maria is currently located about 20 miles west-southwest of St Croix and about 85 miles southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 165 mph, making it a category 5 hurricane. It is moving at 10mph in a west-northwesterly direction. The NOAA said: “On the forecast track, the eye of Maria will cross Puerto Rico today, and pass just north of the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic tonight and Thursday. “Some fluctuations in intensity could occur before the hurricane reaches Puerto Rico, but Maria is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous category 4 or 5 hurricane as it moves over Puerto Rico.

“Slow weakening is expected after the hurricane emerges over the Atlantic north of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.” “Tropical storm conditions will continue in portions of the warning area in the Leeward Islands this morning. “Tropical storm and hurricane conditions are occurring over the Virgin Islands and will spread over Puerto Rico in the next few hours. “Hurricane conditions are expected within the Hurricane Warning area in the Dominican Republic tonight, with tropical storm conditions expected by later today.” Tornadoes are possible over Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands today.

A deadly storm surge accompanied by large waves will raise water levels by as much as 7 to 11 feet near the British Virgin Islands. Water levels will rise by as much as 4 to 6 feet in the hurricane warning area in the Dominican Republican and by 1 to 3 feet elsewhere along the northern coast of Hispaniola. In Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, water levels will rise by as much as 6 to 9 feet if the peak surge coincides with the high tide. Maria is expected to produce the following rain accumulations through Friday:
• Northern Leeward Islands from Barbuda to Anguilla...additional 3 to 6 inches.
• US and British Virgin Islands...additional 8 to 12 inches, isolated 16 inches.

Rainfall on all of these islands will cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides. Surf swells are affecting the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These swells will begin affecting the northern coast of Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Southeastern Bahamas during the next day or two. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:</s>San Juan, Puerto Rico: Hurricane Maria destroyed buildings and knocked out power across Puerto Rico before flooding parts of the Dominican Republic and then regaining some of its strength as it approached the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas late on Thursday.

The second major hurricane to rage through the Caribbean this month, Maria has killed at least 32 people and devastated several small islands, including St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands and Dominica.

At least 15 people were killed in Puerto Rico, the island’s El Nuevo Día‏ newspaper reported.

Among those were eight people who drowned in Toa Baja, about 20 miles (32 km) west of San Juan, Mayor Bernardo Márquez told the newspaper, adding the names of those who died have not been released and the causes of death had to be confirmed through autopsies.

More than 4,000 people had been rescued from flooded areas of Toa Baja, the mayor was quoted as saying.

Three elderly sisters were killed by a mudslide on Wednesday in the mountainous central municipality of Utuado, El Nuevo Día said, citing relatives and the mayor of Utuado.

Maria, headed toward the Turks and Caicos islands, is now a Category 3 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds of up to 125 miles per hour (205 km per hour). It was 65 miles (110 kms) east-southeast of Grand Turk Island as of 11pm EDT (0300 GMT), the US National Hurricane Center said.

Maria was expected to bring as much as 40 inches (102 cms) of rain to Puerto Rico and 8 to 16 inches (20 to 40 cm) to the Turks and Caicos, which could cause flash floods and mudslides, the NHC said.

Maria’s strength was not expected to change during the next few days, the center said. The storm looked unlikely to hit the continental United States but its storm swells will reach the US southeastern coast from Friday, the NHC said.

Officials in Puerto Rico were assessing the damage after Maria slammed the island on Wednesday with winds of up to 155 mph (250 kph). Ranked a Category 4 storm when it made landfall, it was the strongest hurricane to hit the island in nearly 90 years.

US President Donald Trump told reporters the island had been “totally obliterated” and that he planned to visit.

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew through Saturday on the island of 3.4 million people.

“If it is not an emergency situation, people should remain in their homes or shelters,” he was quoted as saying by El Nuevo Dia.

Maria struck Dominica as a Category 5 storm on Monday night, damaging about 9% of the roofs on the island, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. At least 14 people died, CNN quoted Charles Jong, a spokesman for the Dominica prime minister’s office, as saying.

Two people were killed in the French territory of Guadeloupe and one person on the US Virgin Islands.

Utility crews from the US mainland were headed to Puerto Rico to help try to restore the battered power grid and the US military sent ground forces and aircraft to assist with search and rescue.

More than 95%of wireless cell sites were not working on Thursday afternoon on the island, the US Federal Communications Commission said. In the US Virgin Islands, more than three-quarters of cell sites are out of service.

Puerto Rico was already facing the largest municipal debt crisis in US history, and a team of judges overseeing its bankruptcy has advised involved parties to put legal proceedings on hold indefinitely as the island recovers, according to a source familiar with the proceedings.

In the historic heart of the island’s capital San Juan, which has a fort and buildings from the Spanish colonial era, the storm left a litter of wreckage.

Roads were blocked by downed foliage and firefighters and rescue officials wielded chain saws to cut through the debris.

San Juan airport reopened for military and relief flights on Thursday, with plans for a limited resumption of commercial flights on Friday.

With electricity and communications knocked out across the island, workdays evaporated and people busied themselves with securing food, checking on their battered homes and collecting rain water.

Maria passed close by the US Virgin Island of St. Croix, home to about 55,000 people, early on Wednesday as a rare and ferocious Category 5 storm, knocking out electricity and most mobile phone service.

“The worst is behind us,” Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp told reporters on Thursday. “Now is (the) time to march forward and build a better community, a better territory.”

The government has imposed a 24-hour curfew until further notice.

About 600 people throughout the US Virgin Islands are in emergency shelters and many parts are without power, Mapp said.

“It’s going to be a long road to recovery,” Mapp said. “It ain’t going to happen in a week or two and it definitely ain’t going to happen in a few months.”

Maria hit about two weeks after Hurricane Irma pounded two other US Virgin Islands: St. Thomas and St. John.

Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, killed at least 84 people in the Caribbean and the United States. It followed Harvey, which killed more than 80 people when it hit Texas in late August and caused historic flooding in Houston. More than two months remain in the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November. Reuters</s>The extent of the damage is unknown given that dozens of municipalities remained isolated and without communication after Maria hit the island Wednesday morning as a Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds, the strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in over 80 years. (CNN image)

Hurricane Maria is a major hurricane again this morning. It is a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds 115 mph. It could strengthen more in the next couple of days.
• Now a Category 3 with 115 mph winds, the storm is expected to take a northward turn

Maria continues to move away from Puerto Rico but heavy rainfall and flash flooding continue there this morning.

Maria is expected to pass offshore of the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic today then move near the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas tonight and Friday. Hurricane Warnings are in effect for those areas where Maria is expected to bring dangerous wind, storm surge and heavy rainfall.

The government of the Bahamas has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the central Bahamas. All other watches and warnings remain the same.

Maria is expected to stay well east of Florida. As it moves northward it will likely weaken a bit as it heads into some wind shear and slightly cooler waters next week.

HURRICANE MARIA

 SUMMARY OF 800 AM INFORMATION

 ———————————————-

 LOCATION…19.9N 68.7W

 ABOUT 95 MILES NNW OF PUNTA CANA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

 ABOUT 190 MILES SE OF GRAND TURK ISLAND

 MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…115 MPH

 PRESENT MOVEMENT…NW AT 9 MPH

 MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…959 MB…28.32 INCHES

Tropical Storm Jose is in the Atlantic Ocean about 150 miles southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Maximum sustained winds are 60 mph.

Jose is bringing rain and gusty winds to the coast of southeastern New England. Tropical Storm Warnings are in place there including Cape Cod, Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.

A wind gust to 48 mph was recently reported at the Nantucket Airport.

Jose is expected to meander off the coast of New England for several days and gradually weaken but it will continue to bring dangerous surf and rip currents to the U.S. east coast.

TROPICAL STORM JOSE

 SUMMARY OF 800 AM INFORMATION

 ———————————————-

 LOCATION…39.6N 68.1W

 ABOUT 150 MILES SE OF NANTUCKET MASSACHUSETTS

 MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…60 MPH

 PRESENT MOVEMENT…STATIONARY

 MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…982 MB…29.00 INCHES</s>The Turks and Caicos Islands are dealing with hurricane-force winds, flooding rains, and storm surge from Hurricane Maria. As of 8:30 CDT Friday, Maria is a category 3 hurricane with 125 mph winds. The eye of the storm is passing north of the Turks and Caicos, but close enough that winds above hurricane force of 74 mph are hitting the islands. Storm surge is expected to be 6-9 feet and flooding rains of 8-16 inches are likely.

Maria has begun a northward turn that will move it into cooler water. Most computer model forecasts and the National Hurricane Center’s track forecast project that Maria will weaken to a category 1 storm as it moves between the east coast of the US and the island of Bermuda over the next 5 days. Beyond that, the most likely scenario is that Maria will curve eastward into the Atlantic, but there remains a small chance that Maria could brush the US mainland.

Elsewhere in the tropics, Jose has lost its tropical characteristics but still has 50 mph winds in spots. What’s left of Jose will drift around off the Eastern Seaboard until it dissipates entirely in a few days. No other tropical systems are likely to form in the next few days.</s>COLUMBIA, SC (WLTX) - Hurricane Maria has strengthened a bit as it skirts the Dominican Republic and has her sights set on Turks and Caicos.

As of 5 a.m. Thursday, the storm's maximum sustained winds were at 115, making it a Category 3 hurricane. At its peak it had max winds of 175 miles an hour and was a Category 5.

Maria is moving toward the northwest near 9 mph, and this general motion is expected through Thursday night. A turn toward the north-northwest is forecast on Friday.

The eye of Hurricane Maria will continue to pass offshore of the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic today. Maria should then move near the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas tonight and Friday.

It's still too early to say definitively where Maria will go once it leaves the islands.

However, computer models have been consistent for the last three days in showing the storm turning away from the U.S. mainland, or at least staying well offshore from South Carolina.

However, we caution that forecast models can change, and it's far too early to give any kind of "all clear." The storm will require close monitoring over the next several days.

There are no watches or warnings in the state, and we are not in any 'cone of uncertainty.'

Remember, the reason the National Hurricane Center only puts out a five-day cone is because beyond that point, the models get much less accurate. Even at four and five days, there's uncertainty. (Which is why you see the 'cone' get bigger as toward the end.)

Understand, the computer models keep shifting, and will shift again in the coming days. We saw that with Irma, and frankly speaking, we see that with any storm that forms in the Atlantic. As new data comes in, the models change.

As always, our weather team will be keeping you up-to-date on the storm. You'll be able to fine those here on WLTX.com, on air, and on our Facebook page and by following us on Twitter @WLTX</s>related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

5 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

Hurricane Maria barrelled towards the Turks and Caicos on Friday after lashing Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands with winds and rain that destroyed homes, caused flooding, devastated economies and left at least 32 people dead.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: Hurricane Maria barrelled towards the Turks and Caicos on Friday after lashing Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands with winds and rain that destroyed homes, caused flooding, devastated economies and left at least 32 people dead.

Maria is the second major hurricane to hit the Caribbean this month and the strongest storm to hit the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in nearly 90 years. It knocked out the island's power and several rivers hit record flood levels.

At least 15 people were killed in Puerto Rico, El Nuevo Día‏ newspaper reported.

Fourteen deaths were reported on the island nation of Dominica, which has a population of about 71,000. Two others were killed in the French territory of Guadeloupe and one on the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The death toll in the Caribbean is likely to rise when searches resume at daybreak.

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew through Saturday for the island's 3.4 million people.

"If it is not an emergency situation, people should remain in their homes or shelters," he was quoted as saying by El Nuevo Día.

Among those killed in Puerto Rico were eight people who drowned in Toa Baja, about 20 miles (32 km) west of San Juan, Mayor Bernardo Márquez told the newspaper.

More than 4,000 people were rescued from flooded areas of Toa Baja, he was quoted as saying.

Three elderly sisters were killed by a mudslide on Wednesday in the mountainous central municipality of Utuado, El Nuevo Día said, citing relatives and the mayor of Utuado.

In the heart of the island's capital San Juan, which has a fort and buildings from the Spanish colonial era, the storm left a trail of wreckage. Toppled trees cut power lines and streets were turned into rivers.

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters the island had been "totally obliterated" and he planned to visit.

Puerto Rico was already facing the largest municipal debt crisis in U.S. history.

A team of judges overseeing its bankruptcy has advised involved parties to put legal proceedings on hold indefinitely as the island recovers, according to a source familiar with the proceedings.

Maria is a Category 3 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds of up to 125 mph (205 kph). It was 45 miles (70 km) east-southeast of Grand Turk Island as of 2 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

It was forecast to bring storm surges of up to 12 feet (3.7 m) to the southeastern Bahamas as well as the Turks and Caicos, it said.

Maria was expected to bring as much as 40 inches (102 cm) of rain to Puerto Rico and an island-wide flash flood watch was in effect. Between eight and 16 inches (20 to 40 cm) of rain was expected on Turks and Caicos, which could cause flash floods and mudslides, the NHC said.

Maria looked unlikely to hit the continental United States but its storm swells will reach the U.S. southeastern coast from Friday, the NHC said.

Utility crews from the U.S. mainland were headed to Puerto Rico to help restore the power grid and the U.S. military sent ground forces and aircraft to assist with search and rescue.

More than 95 percent of wireless cell sites were not working on Thursday afternoon on the island, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, more than three-quarters of cell sites are out of service.

In Dominica, Maria damaged about 95 percent of roofs, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. It struck as a Category 5 storm on Monday, ripping foliage off plants and obliterating the island's vital agricultural sector.

The storm caused flooding in the Dominican Republic when it passed nearby from Wednesday night.

Maria passed close by the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix, home to about 55,000 people, early on Wednesday as a Category 5 storm, knocking out electricity and most mobile phone service.

"The worst is behind us," Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp told reporters on Thursday. The government has imposed a 24-hour curfew until further notice.

About 600 people throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands are in emergency shelters and many parts are without power, Mapp said.

"It's going to be a long road to recovery," Mapp said. Maria hit about two weeks after Hurricane Irma pounded two other U.S. Virgin Islands: St. Thomas and St. John.

Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, killed at least 84 people in the Caribbean and the United States. It followed Harvey, which killed more than 80 people when it hit Texas in late August and caused flooding in Houston.

More than two months remain in the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.</s>Hurricane Maria’s devastating path just north of the island has left devastation in its wake, with tombs destroyed in today’s landslide. The shocking landslide took place on the island of Santiago with officials calling for emergency aid. Noticias SIN, a local news agency, said: “Heavy rain has caused the wall at Santiago municipal cemetery has collapsed, destroying several tombs.” Horrifying footage shows the huge, 20 foot-high cemetery wall badly damaged, with one portion completely separated from the rest of the wall.

A pile of earth below shows the extent of Hurricane Maria’s power as she continues to barrel west through the Caribbean just off the island’s north coast. Photos showed a crowd of stunned civilians and officials look on as rain continues to pour down on the island. Hurricane Maria is now carrying sustained winds of up to 115 miles per hour as it moves away from the island towards the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas. At least 10 people have died in the now-Category 3 storm, whose strength has fluctuated as it passes between sea and land.

The Prime Minster for the Dominican Republic issued a warning on Tuesday before outside officials lost contact with the administration. Roosevelt Skerrit said: “We will need help of all kinds. I am eager to solicit the support of friendly nations and organisations with helicopter services.” Following this bulletin, according to government officials, contact was lost with Mr Skerrit as the hurricane’s full force battered the island. They said: “Shortly following this message, the Prime Minister became uncontactable, his current whereabouts unknown, and the urgency to mobilise efforts on the ground has increased.

“Individuals and businesses are being asked to view the website dominiCARElief.org to lend their support, donation or otherwise, and the country is seeking assistance from nations around the world who can assist in recovery efforts. “More information can be accessed on http://www.dominiCARElief.org.” The leader of the island has since been found and is coordinating recovery operations.
Maria, now a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h), is passing offshore of the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, expected to impact the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas later tonight and Friday.