Energy

Puerto Rico Evacs Ordered As Hurricane Maria Becomes Category Four

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Tim Pearce Energy Reporter
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Parts of Puerto Rico are being evacuated as another major hurricane threatens to hit the island two weeks after Hurricane Irma tore through it, killing three, ABC News reports.

Hurricane Maria was upgraded to a category four hurricane Monday afternoon with sustained winds of around 130 miles per hour. Maria is expected to hit Puerto Rico Tuesday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Weather around Puerto Rico will worsen around midday Tuesday. The island will receive between 12 and 18 inches of rain, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said.

“Flood-prone areas must be abandoned,” Public Security Secretary Héctor Pesquera said according to ABC News. “If not, you will die.”

Puerto Rican officials are opening about 450 shelters across the island and preparing for the collapse of their “vulnerable” electrical system.

“We have an extremely weak infrastructure that has already been hit by one storm,” Rosselló said according to Orlando Weekly. “This is going to be a catastrophic event.”

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