For the first time anywhere a cat5 has made landfall.
After a very short 24 hrs of rapid intensification Maria hit Dominica
and its 72,000 inhabitatnts like a sledgehammer.
Just like the models predicted.
PM Skerrit live-tweeted from as 160 mph winds removed the roof and
flooded his house. At last report he had been rescued.
-- snip --
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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-41314881>
Hurricane Maria batters Dominica as category 5 storm
19 Sep 2017 03:29Z
From the section Latin America & Caribbean
Hurricane Maria, strengthened to a "potentially catastrophic" category
five storm, has torn into the Caribbean island of Dominica with
sustained winds of 260km/h (160mph).
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit posted on Facebook that his roof had
been torn off and he was "at the complete mercy of the hurricane".
He said his house had flooded, later adding that he had been rescued.
Dominica's airport and ports have been closed.
Maria is moving roughly along the same track as Irma, the hurricane
that devastated the region this month.
The nearby island of Martinique has declared a maximum-level alert
while another French island, Guadeloupe, ordered evacuations.
Hurricane warnings are also in place for:
Puerto Rico: The US territory expects Maria to make landfall as a
category 3 on Tue. It escaped the worst of Irma and has
been an important hub for getting relief to islands more badly
affected. Governor Ricardo Rossello urged islanders to seek refuge
US Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands: Both island chains
suffered severe damage from Irma and President Donald Trump
declared a state of emergency for the US territories on
Mon. British authorities fear debris left behind by Irma could
be whipped up by the new storm and pose an extra threat.
Warnings are also in effect for St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat and St
Lucia while hurricane watches are in place for St Martin, Saba, St
Eustatius and Anguilla.
Some of these islands are still recovering after being hit by
Hurricane Irma - another category 5 hurricane which left at least
37 people dead and caused bns of dollars' worth of damage.
The islands bearing the brunt of Maria are part of the Leeward Islands
chain and include Antigua and Barbuda. The latter was evacuated after
being devastated by Irma.
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Dominica's prime minister described the damage to his home
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) increased the strength of Maria
in just a few hours on Mon from a category 2 storm, to a category
four and then to category 5 - the highest level.
Forecasters warned that heavy rainfall caused by the hurricane "could
cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides".
[Image] Maria is moving roughly along the same path as Irma, which
devastated the Caribbean this month
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Dominica is a former British colony with a population of 72,000 about
half way between Guadeloupe and Martinique. The eye of the hurricane
made landfall there at 21:00 local time (01:00 GMT Tue), the NHC reported.
All ports and airports are closed and residents near the coast have
been ordered to go to authorised shelters.
Curtis Matthew, a journalist based in the capital, Roseau, told the
BBC that conditions went "very bad, rapidly".
"We are not able to even see properly what is happening on the
road. The winds are very, very strong, we can hear the noise on the
outside. We still don't know what the impact is going to be when this
is all over. But what I can say it does not look good for Dominica as
we speak," he said.
Martinique raised its alert status to "violet", the highest level, and
ordered its population to seek shelter.
In Guadeloupe, schools, businesses and govt buildings have all
been closed and severe flooding is predicted. The French govt
has ordered low-lying areas on the islands to be evacuated, AFP reports.
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The Leeward Islands - where Maria will first strike - includes Antigua and Barbuda
The British govt said more than 1,300 troops were staying put in
the region and an additional military team had been deployed to the
British Virgin Islands where entire neighbourhoods were flattened by Irma.
Virgin boss Richard Branson, who has a home in the Virgin Islands, has
been tweeting ahead of Maria's predicted arrival, warning people to
stay safe.
...
--
Eric Holthaus @EricHolthaus 19 Sep 2017 02:21Z
Hurricane #Maria has made landfall in Dominica, the first Category 5
hurricane in recorded history to do so. Records date to 1851.
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Hurricane Maria makes landfall on Dominica as Category 5 storm; islands,
including Puerto Rico, brace for impact
ABC News, 19 Sep 2017 03:05Z
Fox News @FoxNews 19 Sep 2017 03:22Z
Hurricane Maria slams Caribbean as `potentially catastrophic' Category 5
storm
http://fxn.ws/2hdeY4u
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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DKDd0HqWAAAKY_L.jpg>
Hurricane Maria: Live updates as Prime Minister says 'Please let the world
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James Cook @BBCJamesCook 19 Sep 2017 05:31Z
Another disaster is unfolding in the Caribbean as 160mph #HurricaneMaria
ravages #Dominica, home to 72,000 people.
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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-41314881>
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Size matters when it comes to extinction risk
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[Down here in sunny Vicoria we had another of those Antarctic hurricanes
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Eric Holthaus#Verified account @EricHolthaus 19 Sep 2017 00:23Z
Update: NHC has upgraded Hurricane Maria to Category 5. It was Cat 1 this
morning, one of the fastest intensifying hurricanes in history.
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