by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:30 PM ET, Tue September 19, 2017
UPDATE: 2:55 p.m. ET 9/19/2017
The most recent forecast from the National Hurricane Center for Maria revealed the storm will make landfall in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico tonight and Wednesday, according to ABCNews.com.
In addition, Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello called the hurricane "the biggest and potentially most catastrophic hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in a century."
The Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism said the island has responded quickly and efficiently to the imminent arrival of Hurricane Maria. A Hurricane Watch has been issued for the eastern and northern coast of Dominican Republic., including Punta Cana, Samana, Puerto Plata, Sosua and Cabarete.
Current trajectory models forecast Maria to turn north after hitting Puerto Rico and pass near the Dominican Republic Wednesday afternoon. The storm is then expected to miss the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas and Florida, before moving out to sea.
Some of the areas hit the hardest include Dominica, Guadeloupe and Martinique, where at least one person has died and at least two more are missing. The Caribbean Tourism Organization released a statement on Maria's impact on Dominica:
"Our prayers are with all those who are in harm's way, some of whom were impacted by Hurricane Irma less than two weeks ago. We will immediately begin to assist with sourcing and raising funds, relief suppliers and shelter. We will also help to manage the vital communications process. We are attempting to assess the most urgent needs and to tackle those first."
Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit also released a statement:
"We will need help, my friend, we will need help of all kinds. It is too early to speak of the condition of the air and seaports, but I suspect both will be inoperable for a few days. That is why I am eager now to solicit the support of friendly nations and organizations with helicopter services, for I personally am eager to get up and get around the country to see and determine what's needed."
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Original Text
Hurricane Maria strengthened to a Category 5 storm and made landfall on the Caribbean island of Dominica Monday, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.
According to NBCNews.com, Maria made its way past Guadeloupe early Tuesday, battering the island with high winds. Forecasters expect the hurricane to make landfall in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands late Tuesday into Wednesday.
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As of Tuesday morning, Hurricane Maria was producing maximum sustained winds of 160 miles per hour, causing hurricane warnings to be issued for Puerto Rico, Culebra, Vieques and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The hurricane-force winds are expected to continue for as long as 24 hours, which could make Maria more destructive than Hurricane Irma. Forecasters are calling for up to 18 inches of rain and storm surges as high as nine feet, which could leave parts of the U.S. territories in the Caribbean "uninhabitable for weeks or months."
As a result of the incoming storm, airlines and cruise companies are working to get people to safety and avoid putting customers in danger. According to Delta Air Lines, the carrier has added two extra flights to and from San Juan to Atlanta to help customers leave ahead of the storm.
Delta has also put a price cap on impacted flights and temporarily waived fees for baggage and pets in the cabin for customers traveling to and from Puerto Rico and other islands in Maria's path.
United States Senator Bill Nelson took a proactive step Monday when he sent letters to executives from the 10 major U.S.-based airlines urging them to cap airline fares for passengers fleeing Hurricane Maria, according to Reuters.com.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Maria Batters Dominica; Heads for USVI, Puerto Rico[/READMORE]
Several other airlines, including JetBlue, Southwest and Spirit, are waiving reservation change fees for passengers scheduled to travel to destinations likely to be in Maria's path. The destinations include Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Antigua, Barbados, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Kitts and more.
As for how cruise lines who serve the region are handling another hurricane, Royal Caribbean International has altered itineraries for the Adventure of the Seas and Allure of the Seas and is attempting to notify passengers about the changes at least 48 hours before the scheduled departure time, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
Travelers with scheduled trips to the Caribbean are being asked to reach out to their airline or cruise line in order to check on the status of the trip and to determine if refunds will be issued for impacted journeys.
More Hurricane Maria Coverage
More Cruise Line Changes
TravelPulse's Janeen Christoff took an in-depth look at how cruise lines serving the Caribbean were preparing for the incoming Hurricane Maria.
Hurricane Maria's Projected Path
TravelPulse Canada has an article looking at the projected path of the storm and the islands which could potentially be in the most trouble.
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