Dominica, September 19th, 2017 – Roseau – Devastation has hit the Caribbean region once again as Dominica became the newest victim to be caught in another hurricane’s wrought. At 9.15pm last night, Hurricane Maria, now a category 5 Hurricane, made its official landfall in Dominica. Dominica’s Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, via a Facebook post said, “We have lost all that money can buy.”
According to the national hurricane center, Hurricane Maria is moving with winds at 160mph in a West Northwest direction. Strangely enough, the hurricane took its time through Dominica moving at a slow speed of only 9miles per hour. Official reports revealed that the eye of the storm passed over Dominica last night and has since caused widespread damage.
Magnetic Media also understands that almost all the roofs have been swept off buildings, the island’s hospital, Princess Margaret hospital, has been destroyed and radio stations stopped broadcasting when the hurricane hit.
Prime Minister Skerrit also revealed that he too had to be rescued from his own home as his roof was blown away and his house had been flooded. He said he feared the worst and begged countries for immediate help. He added, “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.”
Hurricane Maria has since skirted through islands such as Guadeloupe, Montserrat and St Kitts & Nevis before devastating Dominica. The national hurricane center predicts that it will hit the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico next. Like, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria is expected to grow to winds 180mph or higher.
As a result, hurricane relief efforts in the British Virgin Islands, who were recently hit by Hurricane Irma, had to be stopped as a curfew is now in effect in preparation for Hurricane Maria. Foreign officials are also warning against persons traveling to islands such as the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla and the Turks and Caicos as they are all vulnerable to the effects of Hurricane Maria. If Hurricane Maria remains a category 5 Hurricane, this will be the biggest storm to hit Puerto Rico in almost a century.
Hurricane Maria quickly grew from a tropical storm last Sunday evening to a now category 5 storm as of Monday – less than24 hours – and is expected to remain a category 5 storm throughout the week.
Story By: Kay-Marie Fletcher
