颶風瑪利亞襲擊維京群島和波多黎各

美國國家颶風中心說，風暴風眼的外緣橫掃圣克羅伊島，瑪利亞的最高持續(xù)風速約每小時280公里。氣象預報說，風暴帶來的暴雨會引發(fā)危及生命的洪水和山體滑坡。

美國國家颶風中心說，瑪利亞“可能是災難性的”，估計會保持在危險的四到五級颶風的水平，星期三晚間颶風中心將直擊波多黎各。

波多黎各總督羅賽羅說，“重大破壞難以避免”，政府官員已經(jīng)設立了500個庇護所。

美國總統(tǒng)川普已經(jīng)宣布波多黎各和美屬維京群島進入緊急狀態(tài)，并授權(quán)國土安全部和聯(lián)邦緊急事務管理署協(xié)調(diào)救災。

Hurricane Maria pounded the U.S. Virgin Islands late Tuesday and into Wednesday on its way to Puerto Rico.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the outer edge of the storm's eye was lashing the island of St. Croix as Maria carried maximum sustained winds of about 280 kilometers per hour and rains that forecasters say will cause life-threatening flash floods and landslides.

The NHC said the storm is "potentially catastrophic" and is expected to remain a dangerous Category 4 or 5 hurricane as its center goes directly across Puerto Rico by Wednesday night.

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said "major damage is inevitable" in the U.S. territory and that officials had set up 500 shelters.

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued state-of-emergency declarations for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and authorized the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all relief efforts.