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. 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). 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, 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.