颶風(fēng)瑪利亞襲擊維京群島和波多黎各

美國(guó)國(guó)家颶風(fēng)中心說，風(fēng)暴風(fēng)眼的外緣橫掃圣克羅伊島，瑪利亞的最高持續(xù)風(fēng)速約每小時(shí)280公里。氣象預(yù)報(bào)說，風(fēng)暴帶來的暴雨會(huì)引發(fā)危及生命的洪水和山體滑坡。

美國(guó)國(guó)家颶風(fēng)中心說，瑪利亞“可能是災(zāi)難性的”，估計(jì)會(huì)保持在危險(xiǎn)的四到五級(jí)颶風(fēng)的水平，星期三晚間颶風(fēng)中心將直擊波多黎各。

波多黎各總督羅賽羅說，“重大破壞難以避免”，政府官員已經(jīng)設(shè)立了500個(gè)庇護(hù)所。

美國(guó)總統(tǒng)川普已經(jīng)宣布波多黎各和美屬維京群島進(jìn)入緊急狀態(tài)，并授權(quán)國(guó)土安全部和聯(lián)邦緊急事務(wù)管理署協(xié)調(diào)救災(zāi)。

Hurricane Maria pounded the U.S. Virgin Islands late Tuesday and into Wednesday on its way to Puerto Rico.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the outer edge of the storm's eye was lashing the island of St. Croix as Maria carried maximum sustained winds of about 280 kilometers per hour and rains that forecasters say will cause life-threatening flash floods and landslides.

The NHC said the storm is "potentially catastrophic" and is expected to remain a dangerous Category 4 or 5 hurricane as its center goes directly across Puerto Rico by Wednesday night.

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said "major damage is inevitable" in the U.S. territory and that officials had set up 500 shelters.

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued state-of-emergency declarations for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and authorized the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all relief efforts.