<P> Two weeks after Hurricane Irma hit St. Thomas and St. John while a Category 5 hurricane, Hurricane Maria's weaker outer eyewall was reported by the National Hurricane Center to have crossed Saint Croix while the hurricane was at Category 5 intensity . Sustained winds at the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge on St. Croix reached 99 to 104 mph (159 to 167 km / h) and gusted to 137 mph (220 km / h). Weather stations on St. Croix recorded 5 and 10 inches of rain from the hurricane, and estimates for St. John and St. Thomas were somewhat less . </P> <P> The hurricane killed two people, both in their homes: one person drowned and another was trapped by a mudslide . A third person had a fatal heart attack during the hurricane . The hurricane caused extensive and severe damage to St. Croix . After both hurricanes, the office of V.I. congresswoman Stacey Plaskett stated that 90% of buildings in the Virgin Islands were damaged or destroyed and 13,000 of those buildings had lost their roofs . The Luis Hospital suffered roof damage and flooding, but remained operational . </P> <P> The storm made landfall on Puerto Rico on Wednesday, September 20 as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 155 mph . A sustained wind of 64 mph (103 km / h) with a gust to 113 mph (182 km / h) was reported in San Juan, Puerto Rico, immediately prior to the hurricane making landfall on the island . After landfall, wind gusts of 109 mph (175 km / h) were reported at Yabucoa Harbor and 118 mph (190 km / h) at Camp Santiago . In addition, very heavy rainfall occurred throughout the territory, peaking at 37.9 in (962.7 mm) in Caguas . Widespread flooding affected San Juan, waist - deep in some areas, and numerous structures lost their roof . The coastal La Perla neighborhood of San Juan was largely destroyed . Cataño saw extensive damage, with the Juana Matos neighborhood estimated to be 80 percent destroyed . The primary airport in San Juan, the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, was slated to reopen on September 22 . </P> <P> Storm surge and flash flooding--stemming from flood gate releases at La Plata Lake Dam--converged on the town of Toa Baja, trapping thousands of residents . Survivors indicate that flood waters rose at least 6 ft (1.8 m) in 30 minutes, with flood waters reaching a depth of 15 ft (4.6 m) in some areas . More than 2,000 people were rescued once military relief reached the town 24 hours after the storm . At least eight people died due to the flooding while many are unaccounted for . </P>

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