Hurricane Fiona makes landfall in the Turks and Caicos Islands, killing three people.
Fiona, which is expected to become a category three storm, kills and destroys in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands have been ordered to seek shelter as Hurricane Fiona churns towards the Caribbean archipelago, leaving deaths and destruction in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
The strengthening category two storm, which was expected to become a category three event with winds exceeding 111mph (178km/h) by Tuesday afternoon, was expected to pass close to the eastern end of the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday evening before heading for the southern Bahamas.
Fiona dumped torrential rain on the Dominican Republic, killing one person, after causing major flooding in Puerto Rico, killing two and causing widespread power outages across both Caribbean islands.
According to the United States National Hurricane Center, if it becomes a category three storm, it will be the first “major hurricane” of the 2022 season.
On Monday, residents in Puerto Rico, a US territory, were still dealing with high winds, frequent lightning, and heavy rain. On Sunday afternoon, Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico, dumping up to 30 inches (76.2cm) of rain in some areas.
The storm comes five years after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, causing the worst power outage in the island’s history and killing 3,000 people.
On Monday, US President Joe Biden spoke with Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi, promising to increase the number of support personnel sent to the island in the coming days. Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will travel there on Tuesday.
