where did the hurricane maria hit puerto rico
Hurricane Maria The hurricane made its closest approach to St. Croix around 05:00 UTC on September 20, passing within 20 mi (30 km) of the island; the storm's outer eyewall lashed the island while the more violent inner eye remained offshore.[31] Hours later, around 08:00 UTC, the outer eyewall struck Vieques, an island off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico.[32] By this time, the outer eye became dominant as the inner one decayed, and the eyewall replacement cycle caused Maria to weaken to Category 4 strength.[33] Maria made landfall just south of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, around 10:15 UTC with sustained winds of 155 mph (250 km/h),[34] making it the strongest to hit the island since the 1928 San Felipe Segundo hurricane.[35] Maria maintained a general west-northwest course across Puerto Rico, emerging over the Atlantic Ocean shortly before 18:00 UTC. Interaction with the mountainous terrain resulted in substantial weakening; sustained winds fell to 110 mph (175 km/h) and the central pressure rose to 957 mbars (hPa; 28.26 inHg).[36] With favorable environmental conditions, Maria steadily reorganized as it moved away from Puerto Rico. A large eye, 45 mi (75 km) wide, developed with deep convection blossoming around it. Early on September 21, the system regained Category 3 intensity.[37]