Puerto Rico has been “destroyed” by Hurricane Maria’s might, officials said Wednesday hours after the storm made landfall on the island as a Category 4 storm.
The entire island is without power, and telecommunications have “collapsed,” Puerto Rico’s office of emergency management reports.
Deadly storm surge of up to 8 feet was predicted for the island’s coastal areas
About 80 percent of residences in the Juana Matos community were destroyed by Maria, with homes filled with up to 4 feet of water.
Despite the widespread destruction, there have been no reports of deaths, officials said.
A 6 p.m. curfew has been ordered by Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello to establish order so emergency workers can begin their assessments and search and rescue efforts.
After wreaking havoc on Puerto Rico, the hurricane churned toward Turks and Caicos and the southeast Bahamas.
