Tropical Storm Fiona’s winds are near hurricane strength as it approaches Puerto Rico

Almost five years after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, the American territory is bracing for Tropical Storm Fiona, expected to strengthen into a hurricane before making landfall on the south of the island later on Sunday.

If it strengthens into a hurricane before making landfall in Puerto Rico, it would be the first hurricane since Hurricane Maria, which killed thousands and destroyed critical infrastructure in 2017. Sunday is also the anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Hugo, which slammed the island in 1989.

Meanwhile, the White House announced that President Joe Biden declared a federal emergency in Puerto Rico, as did Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi at the state level. Puerto Rico’s Department of Transportation began putting out a list of closed roads Sunday morning.

The hurricane comes as Puerto Rico continues to recover from Hurricane Maria, manages the COVID-19 pandemic, and as the southwestern Puerto Rico still reels from a series of earthquakes that devastated homes, businesses, and infrastructure. The storm is expected to enter the American territory through either south or southwestern Puerto Rico, posing a risk for residents in the region, still filled with weak or unstable structures brought on by the quakes.

Maria also devastated the grid, which continues to be vulnerable to power outages even without emergency conditions.

Since the arrival of private power utility operator LUMA Energy last June, many Puerto Ricans have repeatedly denounced it and raised concerns that it cannot manage an emergency like a hurricane, claims the company has denied. The company has said that it is ready to respond to Fiona.

On social media, people have reported outages and poles falling. Nearly 290,000 people were without power as of Saturday morning as Tropical Storm Fiona neared Puerto Rico, according to Power.Us, which aggregates live power outage data in the U.S. LUMA was also reporting power outages across the entire island.

Tropical Storm Fiona’s winds increased their speed as the storm started to hit Puerto Rico on Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center said.

Sunday’s 8 a.m. advisory from the NHC said Fiona’s maximum sustained winds are now at 70 mph, just 5 mph under Category 1 hurricane strength. A weather station at Yabucoa-El Negro in Puerto Rico already has reported getting 45 mph sustained winds. Hurricane Maria made landfall through Yabuco.

“Additional strengthening is forecast, and Fiona is expected to become a hurricane before reaching the southern or southwestern coast of Puerto Rico later (Sunday),” the advisory said. “Additional strengthening is expected on Monday and Tuesday while Fiona moves near the Dominican Republic and over the southwestern Atlantic.”

Where Fiona is and where the storm is going

As of 8 a.m., Fiona was 65 miles south southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, moving west northwest at 8 mph. The tropical storm force winds extend 140 miles from the center of the storm.

“A northwestward motion is expected to begin later (Sunday) and continue through Monday, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest on Tuesday,” the NHC advisory said. “On the forecast track, the center of Fiona will approach Puerto Rico this morning, and move near or over Puerto Rico this afternoon or evening. Fiona will then move near the northern coast of the Dominican Republic tonight and Monday, and near or to the east of the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday.”

Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic coast from Cabo Caucedo to Cabo Frances Viejo are under hurricane warnings.

The U.S. Virgin Islands and the north coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Frances Viejo west to Puerto Plata are under hurricane watches. Both areas, along with the British Virgin Islands, are under tropical storm warnings.

Tropical storm watches are in effect for the south coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Caucedo to Barahona; the Turks and Caicos Islands; and the southeastern part of The Bahamas.

Effects of Fiona

Hurricane strength winds could hit Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Sunday morning.

Puerto Rico should get the most rain, projected to be 12 to 16 inches on average with some areas in eastern and southern Puerto Rico getting up to 25 inches. The storm surge is expected to be 1 to 3 feet.

The U.S. and the British Virgin Islands are looking at 4 to 6 inches of rain generally, although St. Croix might get up to 10 inches.

The northern and eastern Dominican Republic is expected to get 4 to 8 inches of rain with 12 inches in some areas near the far east coast. The rest of the island of Hispaniola, which includes Haiti, is expected to get 1 to 3 inches. Turks and Caicos is forecast to get 3 to 6 inches.

“These rains will produce life-threatening flash flooding and urban flooding across Puerto Rico and the eastern Dominican Republic, along with mudslides and landslides in areas of higher terrain,” the advisory forecast.

The National Weather Service meteorologist in San Juan, Lee-ann Ingles-Serrano, said that since the morning, there has been intense rains in the south and east of Puerto Rico.

There are also two sudden flash flood warnings from Ponce to Naguabo.

At least two rivers, Rio Blanco in Maunabo and the Rio Grande in Patillas, are overflowing its river banks. Several other rivers in the southeast of the island are already reacting to the rain, including the Rio Grande de Loiza, the Rio Maunabo, and the Rio Valenciano in Juncos.

There have also been coastal inundations reported in Salinas and Yabucoa, added Ingles-Serrano, and landslides. Some roads, including in the mountain town of Jayuya, have been closed.

The 8 o’clock advisory had the storm making landfall in the southwestern town of Cabo Rojo, and leaving through a point somewhere between Cabo Rojo and the western town of Mayagüez, Ingles-Serrano said.

After the system leaves the island, there will be a lot of humidity, and the rain is expected to continue through Monday.

Fiona rampaged through the Guadeloupe Islands on Friday, reportedly killing one person and taking out power and water in some areas.