Hurricane Fiona strengthened further after it claimed seven lives at least. US forecasters say the storm will continue increasing its strength, though it turned towards Grand Turk and Caicos islands. The wind is blowing at 115 mph to devastate the islands.
Effects on Puerto Rico
Heavy rain lashed Puerto Rico along with the high winds as Fiona landed there on Sunday. Almost the entire island is still dark as there is no electricity on eighty percent of the island. According to the local administration, bringing the power supply back may take another few days.
A girl named Aurielys Jimenez, 18, lost her life being struck under a pole due to heavy winds. Another man died there as a tree fell on him, and Fiona took another life in Leeward Islands’ Guadeloupe.
The President has declared three provinces of the Dominican Republic disaster zones. Fiona is the first significant Hurricane this season, dumping more than thirty inches of rain across Puerto Rico. The storm has been categorized as a third category storm now after it made landfall being a first category storm. There are warnings of heavier rains and flash flooding, and there are warnings of life-threatening floods. Residents have been warned to stay at home.
Effects on Grand Turk and Caicos islands
Fiona made landfall Tuesday morning in Grand Turk and Caicos islands. The residents had to move to safe shelters, and no severe injuries or fatalities were reported. Heavy rainfall continued in the islands. Many villages flooded, leaving thousands of people homeless, and trees and structures were down everywhere, blocking the roads. Even there was no drinking water.
Earlier, Hurricane Maria hit the zone in 2017, killing almost three thousand people. In this season, Fiona is the first such strong Hurricane.
