Puerto Rico pounded by hurricane Maria

At least three killed as almost 70 per cent of households on island have lost power

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO— Hurricane Maria, the most powerful storm to make a direct hit on Puerto Rico in almost a century, ravaged the island Wednesday, knocking out all electricity, deluging towns with flash floods and mudslides and compounding the pain of residents here.

Less than two weeks ago, Hurricane Irma dealt the island a glancing blow, killing at least three people and leaving nearly 70 per cent of households without power.

This storm, which made landfall at 6 a.m., took out the island’s entire power grid, and only added to the woes of a commonwealth that has been groaning under the weight of an extended debt and bankruptcy crisis.

Beyond the damage from winds up to 250 km/h, continuous rain flooded coastal communities as well as neighbourhoods in the central, mountainous areas of the island, which is full of rivers and streams.

Residents woke Wednesday to the clamour of strengthening wind gusts, with the memory of hurricane Irma still fresh. By afternoon, the whole island had lost electricity.

“There has been nothing like this,” said Ramon Lopez, a military veteran. “It was the fury. It didn’t stop.”

Such was the sentiment across the island as the barrage of howling gusts and pounding rain did not cease from the morning until evening.

Thousands of residents fled the winds and rain and hunkered down in stronger buildings. More than 500 shelters have been opened in Puerto Rico, but Gov. Ricardo Rossello said he could not vouch for the storm-worthiness of those structures.

About 600 people took refuge in Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan. Witnesses said the arena’s roof had come off and that the shelter lacked electricity and running water.

Smaller towns and more rural areas, many full of wooden houses with zinc roofs, were difficult to reach after the storm, but widespread damage was reported. Mayor Felix Delgado of Catano, on the northern coast, told a radio station the storm had destroyed 80 per cent of the homes in the Juana Matos neighbourhood, which had been evacuated.

Potable water was also affected by the storm, but the authorities could not yet say just how much damage had been done. Eli Diaz Atienza, president of the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, said that the agency’s communications systems had gone down.