Hurricane Maria smashed into Dominica with 160 mph winds, ripping the roof off even the prime minister香蕉视频直播檚 residence and causing what he called 香蕉视频直播渕ind-boggling香蕉视频直播� devastation Tuesday as it plunged into a Caribbean region already ravaged by Hurricane Irma.

The storm was on a track to wallop Puerto Rico on Wednesday 香蕉视频直播渨ith a force and violence that we haven香蕉视频直播檛 seen for several generations,香蕉视频直播� the territory香蕉视频直播檚 governor said.

Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said on his Facebook page that 香蕉视频直播渋nitial reports are of widespread devastation香蕉视频直播� and said he feared there would be deaths due to rain-fed landslides.

He said even his own house had lost its roof, adding 香蕉视频直播淚 am at the complete mercy of the hurricane. House is flooding.香蕉视频直播� Seven minutes later, he reported he had been rescued.

Maria香蕉视频直播檚 eye roared over the island late Monday night. The storm briefly dipped to Category 4 strength early Tuesday before regaining Category 5 status.

Fierce winds and rain lashed mountainous Dominica for hours. A police official on the island, Inspector Pellam Jno Baptiste, said late Monday night that there were no immediate reports of casualties but it was too dangerous for officers to check conditions.

Footage of hitting with strong winds 馃槼

香蕉视频直播� My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez)

香蕉视频直播淲here we are, we can香蕉视频直播檛 move,香蕉视频直播� he said in a brief phone interview while hunkered down against the region香蕉视频直播檚 second Category 5 hurricane this month.

香蕉视频直播淭he winds are merciless! We shall survive by the grace of God,香蕉视频直播� Skerrit wrote at the start of a series of increasingly harrowing posts on Facebook.

A few minutes later, he messaged he could hear the sound of galvanized steel roofs tearing off houses on the small rugged island.

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He then wrote that he thought his home had been damaged, and added: 香蕉视频直播淩ough! Rough! Rough!香蕉视频直播�

On the nearby island of Martinique, officials said about 25,000 households were without electricity and two small towns without water after Maria roared past.

The head of French civil security, Jacques Witkowski, told reporters that it was too soon to say whether the French department of Guadaloupe had fared as well.

Prefect Eric Maire, the highest French official of Guadaloupe, said in a video on Twitter that some roads and homes were flooded and heavy rain expected to continue. He told the population to 香蕉视频直播渞emain inside.香蕉视频直播�

Authorities in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which faced the possibility of a direct hit, warned that people in wooden or flimsy homes should find safe shelter before the storm香蕉视频直播檚 expected arrival there on Wednesday.

香蕉视频直播淵ou have to evacuate. Otherwise, you香蕉视频直播檙e going to die,香蕉视频直播� said Hector Pesquera, the island香蕉视频直播檚 public safety commissioner. 香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 know how to make this any clearer.香蕉视频直播�

Maria had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph) late Monday when it slammed into Dominica.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Maria weakened briefly before recovering sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph) strength shortly before daybreak Tuesday. Its eye was located about 170 miles (275 kilometres) southeast of St. Croix, and the storm was moving west-northwest over the Caribbean at 9 mph (15 kph).

Forecasters warned Maria could even intensify over the next 24 hours or longer, noting its eye had shrunk to a compact 10 miles across and warning: 香蕉视频直播淢aria is developing the dreaded pinhole eye.香蕉视频直播�

That generally means an extremely strong hurricane will get even mightier, said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami. He said it just like when a spinning ice skater brings in their arms and rotates faster.

香蕉视频直播淵ou just don香蕉视频直播檛 see those in weaker hurricanes,香蕉视频直播� he said.

The storm香蕉视频直播檚 hurricane-force winds extended out about 35 miles (45 kilometres) and tropical storm-force winds out as far as 125 miles (205 kilometres).

Hurricane warnings were posted for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat. A tropical storm warning was issued for Martinique, Antigua and Barbuda, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and Anguilla.

Forecasters said storm surge could raise water levels by 6 to 9 feet (1.8 to 2.7 metres) near the storm香蕉视频直播檚 centre. The storm was predicted to bring 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimetres) of rain across the islands, with more in isolated areas.

Close to its path is the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where territorial Gov. Kenneth Mapp said Tuesday would be 香蕉视频直播渁 very, very long night.香蕉视频直播�

St. Thomas and St. John are still stunned from a direct hit by Hurricane Irma, which did extensive damage and caused four deaths on the two islands.

Barry University said it chartered a private plane to carry students and staff from its St. Croix facility to Florida in preparation for Maria. It said 72 people connected to the Barry香蕉视频直播檚 Physician Assistant Program and a few pets were on Monday香蕉视频直播檚 evacuation flight.

In neighbouring Puerto Rico, nearly 70,000 people were still without power following their earlier brush with Irma and nearly 200 remained in shelters as Maria approached.

Gov. Ricardo Rossello said Puerto Rico had 500 shelters capable of taking in up to 133,000 people in a worst-case scenario. He also said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was ready to bring drinking water and help restore power immediately after the storm, which could hit as a Category 5 hurricane.

香蕉视频直播淭his is going to impact all of Puerto Rico with a force and violence that we haven香蕉视频直播檛 seen for several generations,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e going to lose a lot of infrastructure in Puerto Rico. We香蕉视频直播檙e going to have to rebuild.香蕉视频直播�

Rossello warned that an island-wide power outage could last a 香蕉视频直播渓ong time香蕉视频直播� given the power company香蕉视频直播檚 deteriorated and weak infrastructure.

To the north, Hurricane Jose stirred up dangerous surf and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast, though forecasters said the storm was unlikely to make landfall. Big waves caused by Jose swept five people off a coastal jetty in Rhode Island and they were hospitalized after being rescued.

A tropical storm warning was posted for coastal areas in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and tropical storm watches were up for parts of New York香蕉视频直播檚 Long Island and Connecticut.

Jose香蕉视频直播檚 centre was about 350 miles (560 kilometres) south-southwest of Nantucket, Massachusetts, early Tuesday and moving north at 9 mph (15 kph). The storm had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph).

Associated Press writers Ben Fox in Miami and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report. Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Carlisle Jno Baptiste And Danica Coto, The Associated Press

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