The
most powerful Atlantic hurricane in recorded history lashed Puerto Rico on
Wednesday night, but veered away from a direct hit.
The
National Hurricane Center said that because of the storm's counterclockwise
circulation pattern, the island faced hours of pummeling wind and rain
overnight from its north, threatening destruction across the economically
strained U.S. territory.
Irma, a
Category 5 storm, made its first landfall in the Caribbean early Wednesday,
killing three and causing flooding and power outages on the islands of
Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Martin and St. Barts. The storm has maximum sustained
winds of 185 mph, putting it near the strongest on record.
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Hurricane Irma hits Puerto Rico as Category 5 after slamming Lesser Antilles (by NBC)
