NHC: Maria 'potentially catastrophic' as it tears through Caribbean
Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Hurricane Maria left widespread damage Tuesday in the eastern Caribbean as it continued steaming toward the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as a Category 5 storm.In its 5 p.m. advisory, the National Hurricane Center said the center of the storm was 80 miles southeast of St. Croix and 175 miles southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, both U.S. territories. Maximum sustained winds were recorded at 165 mph, with higher gusts.Maria was moving west-northwest at a speed of 10 mph -- a direction which was expected to continue through Wednesday.The NHC called the storm "potentially catastrophic" -- barely a week after Hurricane Irma tore through the same region."On the forecast track, the eye of Maria will move near or over the U.S. Virgin Islands [Tuesday night], cross Puerto Ri...