Hurricane Maria

Hurricane Maria was an extremely powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone. It struck the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017. This storm was the most intense tropical cyclone in the world that year. It also became the deadliest storm of the very active 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. Maria caused massive destruction across several island nations and territories. The storm is remembered as a major humanitarian crisis due to its scale.

The storm began as a tropical wave near the coast of Africa. It moved westward across the Atlantic Ocean under a mid-level ridge. By September 16, it developed into Tropical Depression Fifteen. The system moved over warm sea surface temperatures of 28°C. It also encountered low wind shear and abundant moisture aloft. These specific conditions allowed the disturbance to consolidate. It became Tropical Storm Maria only six hours after the depression was named.

Maria underwent a process called explosive intensification. This means the storm grew much stronger in a very short time. On September 18, the winds nearly doubled in strength. It jumped from a Category 1 hurricane to a Category 5 hurricane in just 24 hours. This rate of intensification is very rare in the Atlantic. Maria made landfall on the island of Dominica on September 19. It was the first Category 5 hurricane recorded to strike that nation.

After crossing Dominica, the storm moved toward Puerto Rico. It reached its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph. At this time, the central pressure was 908 mbar. An eyewall replacement cycle then caused the storm to weaken slightly. This cycle involves the inner eyewall being replaced by a larger outer one. Maria struck Puerto Rico near Yabucoa on September 20 as a high-end Category 4 hurricane. It later restrengthened into a major hurricane after moving back over the Atlantic.

The impact on Puerto Rico was catastrophic and widespread. The storm caused the worst electrical blackout in United States history. This power outage lasted for several months. Many people faced a lack of resources and flooding. The island's infrastructure was already struggling before the storm arrived. The electric grid was aging, with a median plant age of 44 years. Additionally, the water system was in substandard condition prior to the hurricanes.

The total death toll from Hurricane Maria was 3,059 people. Most of these deaths, 2,975, occurred in Puerto Rico. In Dominica, the storm caused 65 deaths. Other fatalities occurred in the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Haiti. The monetary losses were estimated at over $91.61 billion in 2017 USD. This makes it the fourth-costliest tropical cyclone on record. The name Maria was retired from the list of storm names because of this destruction.

Maria's effects reached far beyond the Caribbean islands. It passed north of The Bahamas and paralleled the U.S. East Coast. It eventually moved toward the North Atlantic Ocean. On September 28, a trough helped swing the storm eastward. It became an extratropical cyclone on September 30. This means it lost its tropical characteristics as it moved into cooler waters. The storm finally dissipated by October 2. It remains one of the most significant meteorological events of the 21st century.