Hurricane Maria Brings ‘Widespread Devastation’ to Dominica
Hurricane Maria made landfall on the Caribbean island of Dominica late on Monday, September 18, as a category 5 storm, bringing “widespread devastation,” according to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.
HAPPENING NOW – The eyewall of Category 5 Hurricane Maria moves onshore over Dominica #Maria #tropics pic.twitter.com/ZxdFurSnse
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) September 19, 2017
“So far we have lost all what money can buy and replace,” said Skerrit. “My greatest fear for the morning is that we will wake to news of serious physical injury and possible deaths as a result of likely landslides triggered by persistent rains.”
Initial reports are of widespread devastation. So far we have lost all what money can buy and replace. My greatest fear…
Posted by Roosevelt Skerrit on Monday, September 18, 2017
Skerrit said his own residence lost its roof and flooded in a post on Facebook, later saying he was rescued.
#Dominica saw a direct landfall from Hurricane #Maria late Monday. This was the scene just to the north in Guadeloupe. pic.twitter.com/0JunSiSJv9
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) September 19, 2017
“So, far the winds have swept away the roofs of almost every person I have spoken to or otherwise made contact with,” Skerrit said. “The roof to my own official residence was among the first to go and this apparently triggered an avalanche of torn away roofs in the city and the countryside.”
Category 5 Hurricane Maria makes landfall on the island of Dominica at around 9:15 pm EDT
The eye of Maria will move over the northeast Caribbean Sea during the day Tuesday and approach the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Tuesday night and Wednesday.