ABC News (SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico) — Hurricane Maria restrengthened to a major hurricane early Thursday after laying waste to Puerto Rico and leaving the island totally in the dark.
The latest update from the National Hurricane Center at 2 a.m. shows maximum sustained winds for Maria are now 115 mph. The storm returned to major hurricane status after moving back over open water before it is expected to slam Turks and Caicos Thursday night.
At least nine people have died in the storm, including two in Guadeloupe and one in Puerto Rico.
The storm is expected to strengthen over the next day or two as it moves north, the National Weather Service said.
Maria is not expected to threaten the United States mainland.
Maria was lashing the eastern end of the Dominican Republic with strong winds and heavy rain overnight. The eye was about 55 miles north of the resort town of Punta Cana at 2 a.m. and moving northwest at about 9 mph.
Even as the storm moved away from Puerto Rico, the island was still being hit with heavy rain bands Thursday. Storm surge was receding from Puerto Rico Thursday, but the U.S. territory was hit with 20 to 30 inches of rain in 24 hours, with some areas seeing 35 inches locally. Maria came ashore as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with 155 mph winds, the strongest to hit the island since 1932.
A spokesperson for Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said early Thursday he was with a National Guard unit in Levittown, a coastal suburb of San Juan, where residents has retreated to rooftops due to flooding and as many as 80 percent of homes suffered damage.
The storm knocked out power to the entire island, and the executive director of emergency management on the island said telecommunications had “collapsed.”
Rossello imposed a curfew on the island from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Saturday.
President Donald Trump tweeted a message of support for the island late Wednesday, which was reciprocated by Rossello. The governor also spoke to Vice President Mike Pence by phone on Wednesday.
Governor @RicardoRossello–
We are with you and the people of Puerto Rico. Stay safe! #PRStrong— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2017
Thank you Mr. President @realDonaldTrump United, we stand! #USstrong #PRstrong https://t.co/csHEFx2B6j
— Ricardo Rossello (@ricardorossello) September 21, 2017
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