Maria whips Dominica, targets Puerto Rico next

Hurricane Maria lashed the Caribbean island of Dominica on Monday night as a Category 5 storm, causing what the island’s prime minister described as “mind-boggling” devastation. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said many buildings, including his own official residence, lost their roofs in the 160 mph winds. The storm weakened briefly after making landfall but quickly regained Category 5 wind speeds, and forecasters warn it could get even worse before smashing into Puerto Rico later today. Skerrit posted on Facebook throughout the storm’s battering, writing at one point, “The winds are merciless! We shall survive by the grace of God.” Officials in Puerto Rico urged residents to seek shelter, especially if they live in houses built of wood. “You have to evacuate. Otherwise, you’re going to die,” said Hector Pesquera, the island’s public safety commissioner. “I don’t know how to make this any clearer.” Maria’s hurricane-force winds reach 35 miles from its center, and tropical storm–force winds reach 125 miles. Residents of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands also are hunkering down as Maria approaches. St. Croix largely escaped damage from Irma, which ravaged St. Thomas and St. John. U.S. Virgin Islands territorial Gov. Kenneth Mapp predicted Tuesday would be “a very, very long night.”