Hurricane Knocks Out Power, Floods Puerto Rico

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Hurricane Maria Knocks Out Power, Floods Puerto Rico

Hurricane Maria strengthened Thursday as it approached the Turks and Caicos islands, while continuing to dump more heavy rain on Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

Maria, currently a Category 3 storm, was a more powerful Category 4 disturbance when it knocked out power throughout Puerto Rico Wednesday and flooded many areas while inflicting a less severe but still significant punch to the Dominican Republic.

The storm was the strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, in almost 90 years. The full extent of the damage has yet to be determined given that communities remain isolated and unable to communicate, but there are reports of towns being overwhelmed with flash floods and mudslides.

"The information we have received is not encouraging," said Abner Gomez, who heads Puerto Rico's emergency management agency. "It's a system that has destroyed everything it has had in its path."