Puerto Rico without power as Hurricane Fiona makes landfall
Hurricane Fiona made landfall near Punta Tocon, Puerto Rico, on Sunday afternoon, with winds of 85 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.
Forecasters expect 12 to 18 inches of rainfall, with up to 30 inches possible in some areas of eastern and southern Puerto Rico. "These rains will produce life-threatening and catastrophic flash and urban flooding across Puerto Rico and the eastern Dominican Republic, along with mudslides and landslides in areas of higher terrain," the National Hurricane Center said. Already, there are reports of a bridge in the central town of Utuado being washed away and small landslides blocking roads across the island.
Fiona made landfall at 3:20 p.m. ET as a Category 1 hurricane. Luma Energy, the operator of Puerto Rico's grid, said the heavy winds disrupted power lines and there is "a blackout on all the island." Due to the strength of the storm, it could take several days to get the power restored.
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This is the third hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic season; in about 48 hours, forecasters expect Fiona to become a Category 3 or higher when it is east of the Bahamas.
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Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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