Authorities in western Puerto Rico have begun evacuating people as a failing dam is causing extremely dangerous flooding on a Puerto Rico river in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
National Weather Service (NWS) said, the imminent failure of the Guajataca Dam is a life-threatening situation.
More than 40 centimeters of rain fell on the mountains surrounding the Guajataca Dam in northwest Puerto Rico after Maria left the island, swelling the reservoir behind the nearly 90-year-old dam. Authorities said they have launched an evacuation of the 70,000 people living downstream by buses.
The agency also urged residents in the area to move to higher ground in an alert posted on its website.
Government spokesman Carlos Bermudez said that officials had no communication with 40 of the 78 municipalities on the island more than two days after the Category 5 storm crossed the island.
The storm toppled power lines and cell phone towers and sending floodwaters cascading through city streets.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Maria churned past Turks and Caicos. US National Hurricane Centre said, the storm is packing sustained winds of up to 205 kilometer per hour, making it a Category 3 hurricane.
Maria, the second major hurricane to wreak havoc in the Caribbean this month has been blamed for at least 33 deaths, including 15 in Dominica, three in Haiti and two in Guadeloupe.
