President Trump approved an emergency declaration for the U.S. Virgin Islands on Monday as the island chain braces for Hurricane Maria, an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm.
The emergency declaration unlocks federal resources for the group of islands and authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin organizing disaster relief efforts.
The National Hurricane Center upgraded Hurricane Maria to a Category 4 storm Monday afternoon, and it’s expected to continue gaining in strength. Maria, which has maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour, could be a Category 5 storm when it reaches the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Tuesday night and into Wednesday.
The National Hurricane Center expects Hurricane Maria to dump 10 to 15 inches on the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and 12 to 18 inches on Puerto Rico.
A hurricane warning is in effect for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
