Puerto Rico often sparedMaria ties for the eighth strongest storm in Atlantic history, when measured by wind speed. Puerto Rico had long been spared from a direct hit by hurricanes that tend to veer north or south of the island. A shelter has been set up at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum refuge in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 19, 2017, prior the arrival of Hurricane Maria. (Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images)As Maria approached, U.S. President Donald Trump offered his support via Twitter: "Puerto Rico being hit hard by new monster Hurricane. A tropical storm warning was posted for coastal areas in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and tropical storm watches were up for parts of New York's Long Island and Connecticut.

Source: CBC News September 20, 2017 03:14 UTC