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Hurricane Fiona made landfall in the Dominican Republic on Monday and destroyed power grids in Puerto Rico, causing flooding and landslides.
According to the National Hurricane Center, maximum sustained winds upon landfall in the Dominican Republic are estimated at 90 miles per hour.
Massive flooding caused by the hurricane is believed to have killed at least one person on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. local officials said. No deaths have been reported in Puerto Rico, but officials say it’s too early to consider damage from the storm, which is expected to bring torrential rains across the region on Monday.
The US territory is projected to receive up to 30 inches in the eastern and southern regions.
Power outage in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona hits, residents could be without power for ‘several days’
“It’s important for people to understand that this isn’t over yet,” said Ernesto Morales, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in San Juan.
Morales said the flooding had reached “historic levels” and authorities were evacuating or rescuing hundreds of people across the region.
“The damage we are seeing is devastating,” said Governor Pedro Pierluigi.
Brown water washed into streets and homes and even swallowed a runway airport in southern Puerto Rico.
The hurricane ripped the asphalt off roads and washed away a bridge in the town of Utuad, which was added by the National Guard after Hurricane Maria hit in 2017.
Hurricane Fiona also ripped off the roofs of several homes on the island.
The storm was centered 50 miles southeast of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, with peak winds of 85 miles per hour Sunday night, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Fiona was traveling northwest at 9 mph.
Puerto Rico braces for Fiona as storm escalates into hurricane before making landfall
Authorities continue to assess the damage done by Fiona, and many residents are unsure when power will be restored.
Power transmission and distribution company Luma said bad weather, including winds of 80 mph, disrupted power lines on Sunday.
The health center was running on generators, some of which were out of order. Health Secretary Carlos Merado said the crew had rushed to repair the generator at the Comprehensive Cancer Center.
More than 3,000 houses still use blue tarps instead of roofs. Infrastructure, including power grids, remains vulnerable. Reconstruction has only recently begun and power outages are still frequent.
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By Sunday night, more than 1,000 people with about 80 pets across the island were in need of shelter.
US President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico as the eye of the storm approaches the southwestern corner of Puerto Rico.
Fiona was expected to attack northern Haiti and the Turks and Caicos Islands on Monday after landing in the Dominican Republic.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.