by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:00 PM ET, Fri September 22, 2017
UPDATE: 3:30 p.m. ET 9/22/2017
Hurricane Maria has moved past the islands of Turks and Caicos as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Maria is moving toward the Bahamas at nine miles per hour where it is expected to make landfall Friday night. The storm is then forecasted to slowly weaken while making a turn toward the north by late Saturday.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization has provided updates on several islands in the region impacted by the hurricane. In Puerto Rico, power remains out for the majority of the island and several hotels are still closed. Luis Munoz Marin International Airport has reopened for military and rescue flights, as well as a few commercial flights.
There are still major issues for the island, as The Associated Press is reporting the Guatajaca Dam is failing, forcing locals downstream to evacuate the area in case of a collapse.
In the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas, Governor Kenneth E. Mapp has called on the community to pull together through the destruction. Hospitals, airports and other key facilities were damaged in the storm, and aid missions are underway.
Other destinations like the British Virgin Islands, Nevis and St. Kitts were fortunate to escape major damage from Hurricane Maria.
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Original Text
After battering Haiti and the Dominican Republic Thursday night, Hurricane Maria is bringing damaging winds, flooding rain and storm-surge impacts to the Turks and Caicos islands and the Bahamas Friday.
According to Weather.com, Maria is now a Category 3 storm and will continue impacting the Caribbean throughout Friday. The hurricane is still dumping rain on Puerto Rico, with flash flood warnings still in place and power outages reported across the entire island.
Over the next two days, the storm is expected to weaken before turning north into the open Atlantic Ocean. Swells from Maria are expected to start reaching the southeastern United States Friday, with dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents possible for the next several days, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Hurricane Maria is not expected to impact the U.S. mainland.
Maria was the second major hurricane to hit the Caribbean this month and the strongest storm to hit Puerto Rico in nearly 90 years. The storm knocked out power to the island and many rivers hit record flood levels.
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As a result of the storm's impact on the region, at least 13 people were killed in Puerto Rico, 14 people died in Dominica, two deaths were reported in Guadeloupe and another person died on the U.S. Virgin Islands. The death toll is expected to rise, according to Reuters.com.
Several airlines serving Puerto Rico announced they will resume flights as early as Friday, according to The Associated Press. American Airlines officials announced the first flight since the storm will depart from Miami for San Juan Friday morning, with several federal airport screeners onboard to help ensure security at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport.
Delta Air Lines revealed the carrier will resume flights from Atlanta and New York to San Juan Saturday. On the other hand, a United spokesperson said the airline is still assessing the situation and it's unclear when flights to Puerto Rico will resume.
The cruise industry has also been impacted by Maria, as companies like Carnival and Royal Caribbean have issued itinerary changes for several sailings over the coming weeks. Cruise lines are asking customers to check for updates on their voyages.
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