In Puerto Rico, power was lost across the island due to Hurricane Fiona. The storm has now arrived in the Dominican Republic.

DLNews Breaking News:

Devastation as far as the eye can see: Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico.

There was a power outage throughout the US, and heavy rain caused "catastrophic" flooding and landslides. Governor Pedro Pierluisi said on Sunday evening  that the damage in several regions was "catastrophic." As a result, US President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency.

With wind speeds up to 140 kilometers per hour, "Fiona" made landfall in the afternoon as a category one hurricane. The power grid collapsed on the Caribbean island with more than three million inhabitants, and around 196,000 people were cut off from the drinking water supply due to the power failure and the flooding. In addition, downed power poles and trees blocked roads, and a bridge collapsed in the city of Utuado.

A mudslide blocks an access road in Cayey, Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile, "Fiona" reached the Dominican Republic. The population there had been preparing for the hurricane since Saturday evening. The hurricane center also warned of catastrophic flooding for parts of the Dominican Republic. The cyclone could intensify further in the next 48 hours.

The warning states, "These levels of rainfall will cause life-threatening flash floods and urban flooding in Puerto Rico and parts of the eastern Dominican Republic, as well as mudslides and landslides at higher elevations."

A destroyed banana plantation in Guadeloupe. “Fiona“

Puerto Rico, an island of just over three million people, is often exposed to storms during hurricane season. In September 2017, Hurricane Maria, in particular, severely damaged the island. Around 3000 people lost their lives. Even then, "Maria" destroyed the island's power grid. Attempts to get the problem under control through privatization failed: as recently as last April, the power supply failed again for more than a million people. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June to November.