Hurricane Maria knocks out power in all of Puerto Rico

Hurricane Maria knocked out power in all of Puerto Rico Wednesday, after making landfall as a Category 4 storm.

“We are 100% without power,” a spokesman for Gov. Ricardo Rosselló’s (D) office told CNN.

The storm slammed into Puerto Rico with 155 MPH winds that slowed down to 140 mph by 11 a.m., but were still capable of causing structural damage.

Maria is expected to move toward the Dominican Republic by Wednesday night.

{mosads}

“Puerto Rico, in terms of the infrastructure, will not be the same,” said Carlos Mercader, a spokesman for Rosselló. “This is something of historic proportions.”

Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) officials said Wednesday the hurricane would leave entire communities devastated, some with over 90 percent of their homes destroyed.

Rosselló addressed Americans Tuesday, saying “we have not experienced an event of this magnitude in our modern history.”

He said President Trump and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “have responded extraordinarily.”

Puerto Rico is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Irma, which hit the island Sept. 4 before barreling toward Florida.

Irma hit other Caribbean islands much harder, including the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico sent much of its emergency assistance stockpile to help those other territories.

Puerto Rico also became the staging ground for Irma relief operations, taking in refugees and organizing rescue missions.

“My administration has done everything within our power to prepare for this event and to protect the lives of everyone in the island, including establishing over 500 shelters,” said Rosselló. “We know this will be tough, but I have faith in our resiliency and capacity to rebuild.”