INDIAN RIVER COUNTY —Hurricane Maria is approaching Puerto Rico as a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph.
Yesterday, the storm started out as a Cat 3 and by the afternoon had strengthened to a Cat 4. Before the end of the evening, though, she grew to a Cat 5.
Hurricane Maria is still too far away for forecasters to predict with certainty whether or not Hurricane Maria will directly impact Florida, much less Indian River County.
Coming on the heels of Hurricane Irma, which drove millions of Floridians from their homes, residents are keeping a wary eye on the tropics and replenishing their hurricane kits.
Maria is moving west northwest at 9 mph and is expected to make landfall on Puerto Rico Wednesday as a major hurricane – at least a Cat 3.
According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the storm is also expected to approach the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which is in the cone of uncertainty Thursday morning and move into the Bahamas Friday.
Beyond that, forecasters can’t say where the storm will go.
