The Buzz | Maria grows to a Cat 3, nears already battered Caribbean

Hurricane Maria grew into a Category 3 storm yesterday as it barreled toward a potentially devastating collision with islands in the eastern Caribbean. Forecasters warned it was likely to grow even stronger.

The storm was on a path that would take it near many of the islands already wrecked by Hurricane Irma and then on toward Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Maria could hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane, said Ernesto Morales with the U.S. National Weather Service in San Juan. “This storm promises to be catastrophic for our island,” he said. “All of Puerto Rico will experience hurricane force winds.”

Categories World