Hurricane Maria St. Thomas: Projected Path and Forecast

The island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands is still reeling from Hurricane Irma. Now residents, stranded tourists and recovery workers are bracing for another powerful storm.

Hurricane Maria is a Category 5 hurricane packing maximum sustained winds of 175 miles per hour. The storm is currently located about 60 miles southeast of St. Croix, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

…POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE MARIA EXPECTED TO PASS NEAR THE U. S. VIRGIN ISLANDS TONIGHT AND OVER PUERTO RICO ON WEDNESDAY…

…PREPARATIONS AGAINST LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND RAINFALL FLOODING AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION…

Hurricane Maria is a “potentially catastrophic” storm barreling down on the U.S. Virgin Islands, already devastated by Hurricane Irma which hit St. Thomas and St. John on September 6. Most of the buildings in St. Thomas were damaged in that storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 185 miles an hour. Much of the island is still without power and food and water is in short supply.

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This time Hurricane Maria seems to have set her sights on St. Croix, an island in the U.S. Virgin Islands with about 50,000 residents.

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Hurricane Maria “is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous category 4 or 5 hurricane until it moves near or over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico,” the National Hurricane Center said.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the eye of the storm and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles. Storm surges could rise by as much as 6 to 9 feet. Rainfall could reach 20 inches in some areas.

National Hurricane CenterThe latest update for the path of Hurricane Maria as it makes its way toward Puerto Rico.

A curfew is in effect from 8 p.m. to 10 a.m.