Maria Slams Ashore in Puerto Rico as a Category 4 Hurricane
- Storm makes landfall near Yabucoa with 155 mph winds
- Worst storm to hit since 1998 may cause $30 billion of damages
Puerto Rico Faces Steep Damage in Wake of Hurricane Maria
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Hurricane Maria slammed into southeastern Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm with the potential to inflict $30 billion in damages just two weeks after Irma ravaged the cash-strapped island.
Top winds reached 155 miles (249 kilometers) per hour as Maria made landfall near Yabucoa at around 6:15 a.m. New York time, the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. Hurricane-force winds extend as far as 60 miles from its center, the storm surge may reach 9 feet (2.7 meters) and as much as 25 inches of rain may fall in some areas.