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September 25, 2017 - Hurricane Maria (15L) over Puerto Rico and Hispaniola
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Hurricane Maria made landfall near Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, around 1015 UTC (6:15 a.m. EDT) on September 20, 2017 as a very strong Category 4 storm, packing maximum sustained winds of about 155 mph (250 km/h). The top strength for a Category 4 storm is 156 mph (251 km/h) and Category 5 begins at 157 mph (252 km/h).
The impact of Maria on Puerto Rico is still being assessed, but words like “apocalyptic”, “total disaster” and “complete devastation” are circulating as authorities and media report. The storm knocked out all power and communications on the island, including telephone, cell phones, and internet, making rapid assessment and response difficult. While some buildings are still standing, many are damaged by wind, downed trees, or flood water. The death toll for the island is currently at 10 and the lack of fresh water, fuel, electricity, or phone service is setting the scene for a potentially severe humanitarian crisis. The main port, San Juan, has been opened to receive aid being delivered by ships. The Associated Press reported that 11 ships will bring in more than 1.6 million gallons of water, food, 23,000 cots, and dozens of generators. More aid is expected to arrive daily and the recovery will take many months.
After leaving Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria brushed the island of Hispaniola, but it was not a gentle brush. Although winds had decreased to about 115 mph (185 km/h) (Category 3), b¬¬¬¬¬oth the Dominican Republic and Haiti reported damaged homes, roadways, and significant outages of power and telephones. Haiti also reports extensive damage to crops, livestock and several banana plantations. Other islands in the Caribbean have also suffered greatly from Maria. Dominica in particular suffered heavy devastation. Thirty-eight people have been confirmed killed from the storm, including the 10 on Puerto Rico.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued their first advisory on Maria at 1500 UTC (11:00 a.m. EST) on September 16, naming the system “Potential Tropical Cyclone Fifteen” as the storm formed from an area of low pressure hundreds of miles east of the Lesser Antilles. After scouring several islands, maximum peak sustained winds were measured on September 20 at 278 mph (172 mph) at just hours before landfall on Puerto Rico.
As of 2100 UTC (5:00 p.m. EDT) on September 24, Hurricane Maria remained a Category 2 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). It was located about 425 miles (685 km) south southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Maria is forecast to continue moving parallel to the east coast of the United States, then after 72 hours, should turn east northeast, away from the coast.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of Hurricane Maria over Puerto Rico and Hispaniola on September 21.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 9/21/2017
Resolutions:
1km (771.9 KB), 500m (2.6 MB), 250m (6.4 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Hurricane Maria made landfall near Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, around 1015 UTC (6:15 a.m. EDT) on September 20, 2017 as a very strong Category 4 storm, packing maximum sustained winds of about 155 mph (250 km/h). The top strength for a Category 4 storm is 156 mph (251 km/h) and Category 5 begins at 157 mph (252 km/h).
The impact of Maria on Puerto Rico is still being assessed, but words like “apocalyptic”, “total disaster” and “complete devastation” are circulating as authorities and media report. The storm knocked out all power and communications on the island, including telephone, cell phones, and internet, making rapid assessment and response difficult. While some buildings are still standing, many are damaged by wind, downed trees, or flood water. The death toll for the island is currently at 10 and the lack of fresh water, fuel, electricity, or phone service is setting the scene for a potentially severe humanitarian crisis. The main port, San Juan, has been opened to receive aid being delivered by ships. The Associated Press reported that 11 ships will bring in more than 1.6 million gallons of water, food, 23,000 cots, and dozens of generators. More aid is expected to arrive daily and the recovery will take many months.
After leaving Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria brushed the island of Hispaniola, but it was not a gentle brush. Although winds had decreased to about 115 mph (185 km/h) (Category 3), b¬¬¬¬¬oth the Dominican Republic and Haiti reported damaged homes, roadways, and significant outages of power and telephones. Haiti also reports extensive damage to crops, livestock and several banana plantations. Other islands in the Caribbean have also suffered greatly from Maria. Dominica in particular suffered heavy devastation. Thirty-eight people have been confirmed killed from the storm, including the 10 on Puerto Rico.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued their first advisory on Maria at 1500 UTC (11:00 a.m. EST) on September 16, naming the system “Potential Tropical Cyclone Fifteen” as the storm formed from an area of low pressure hundreds of miles east of the Lesser Antilles. After scouring several islands, maximum peak sustained winds were measured on September 20 at 278 mph (172 mph) at just hours before landfall on Puerto Rico.
As of 2100 UTC (5:00 p.m. EDT) on September 24, Hurricane Maria remained a Category 2 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). It was located about 425 miles (685 km) south southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Maria is forecast to continue moving parallel to the east coast of the United States, then after 72 hours, should turn east northeast, away from the coast.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of Hurricane Maria over Puerto Rico and Hispaniola on September 21.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 9/21/2017
Resolutions:
1km (771.9 KB), 500m (2.6 MB), 250m (6.4 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
