Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Central Interior, Culebra, Eastern Interior, Mayaguez and Vicinity, North Central, Northeast, Northwest, Ponce and Vicinity, San Juan and Vicinity, Southeast, Southwest, St. Croix, St.Thomas, St. John and Adjacent Islands, Vieques, and Western Interior.
At 11 AM AST the Hurricane Hunter Aircraft showed that hurricane Maria maintained its Category 5 status with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. Maria is expected to continue at this strength until it encounters Puerto Rico.
Hurricane conditions are likely to begin Tuesday night across the USVI, Vieques and Culebra; and across Puerto Rico Wednesday morning. Hurricane force winds will likely continue across USVI, Vieques and Culebra through Wednesday afternoon; and across Puerto Rico through Wednesday night. These winds will bring catastrophic damage. Severe injury is possible in less than a strong structure.
Wind speeds atop and on the windward sides of hills and mountains and on high-rise buildings could be much stronger than the near-surface winds indicated in the forecast.
Rainfall accumulations across the local islands will depend highly on the forward speed, but based on the latest forecast, Maria is expected to produce storm total accumulations of 12 to 18 inches with isolated amounts of 25 inches or more.
https://www.google.org/publicalerts/alert?aid=2f0ad0883f1535d3&hl=en&gl=US&source=web