Recovery

The National Weather Service said the Guajataca Dam, on the western side of the island, was failing Friday afternoon and that evacuations were underway.

Hurricane deductibles have climbed as Florida home insurance premiums, the highest in the nation, pushed steadily higher after hurricanes from 1992’s Andrew to the storms of 2004-5.

Grandmas and grandpas buzzed around the gym in electric wheelchairs, dodging cots and basketball hoops.

'In the wake of any hurricane, you are going to see an increase in the mosquito population.'

Federal officials said they are trying to reach those who need help in a variety of ways, including response teams that go door to door in some areas.

Even though authorities had barely begun to assess the damage Wednesday evening, the scope of the catastrophe was evident, even if in snippets.

'We had so many people turned away from shelters because they were full — which is amazing that could happen in the state of Florida.'

Most of the center's models have Maria following a path curving up the East Coast and staying away from land.

Experts believe the growing death toll from Thursday’s 8.1-magnitude quake off Mexico’s southern coast could have been worse if alarms had not gone off throughout faraway population centers well before the shaking started.

Firefighters, soldiers and volunteers worked through the night clearing debris and scrambling to find survivors, at times working with bare hands and donated flashlights.

Winds were lashing the island, toppling trees and sparking flash-flood warnings in the territory’s capital. Maria weakened slightly as it approached the island but its sustained winds remained at 155 mph, still a monster Category 4 storm, when it struck.

The temblor caused buildings to sway violently in the center of Mexico City, including in the historic districts of El Centro and Roma.

Maria made landfall in Dominica with 160 mph winds that stripped roofs, including the prime minister’s.

One of the new center's primary missions is to help businesses get short-term emergency loans, or bridge loans.

'The system looks to be close enough for potential impacts, including tropical storm force winds, coastal flooding, and locally heavy rainfall.'