
Hurricane Maria has claimed its first victim.

Officials say one person died on Guadeloupe after being hit by a falling tree when the Category 5 storm hit the French Caribbean island overnight.

Authorities say the person did not comply with orders to remain indoors on Tuesday morning. They say two other people are reported missing after their boat sank off La Desirade island, just east of Guadeloupe.

About 40 percent of the island is without power. That's 80,000 homes. Flooding has been reported in several communities, especially along the southern coast.

Officials say Les Saintes, Marie-Galant, Petit-Bourg and La Desirade have been the hardest hit. Roads are littered with fallen branches and trees but only limited infrastructure damage has been reported.

But the damage there is likely not as bad as Dominica, which suffered a direct hit. Communications to the island were wiped out in the storm, so the extent of the damages - including any casualties - are still unclear.

Meanwhile, Americans in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are preparing for direct hits on Wednesday.

Hurricane Maria's track shifted slightly on Tuesday, putting the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands in its direct path.

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Hurricane Maria is expected to make landfall again in St. Croix early Wednesday morning, followed by Puerto Rico later in the day

A motorist drives on the flooded waterfront in Fort-de-France, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, after it was hit by Hurricane Maria on Tuesday

An entire roof was blown off this home in the village of Goyave on Guadeloupe on Tuesday

Cars drive along a road after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Guadeloupe island, France, September 19, 2017

A road is empty in Sainte-Anne on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, early Tuesday after the passing of Hurricane Maria

People stand next to debris at a restaurant in Le Carbet, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, on Tuesday

A resident walks across a road covered in fallen tree branches and leaves in the village of Viard - Petit Bourg, near Pointe-a-Pitre, on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe after the passage of Hurricane Maria

Puerto Ricans have been told to 'evacuate or die' after Hurricane Maria laid waste to the island of Dominica on its destructive path across the Caribbean. This was the scene as Maria battered the city of Petit-Bourg on the French overseas Caribbean island of Guadeloupe today

A picture shows rocks swept by strong waves onto a road in Le Carbet, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, on Tuesday

Hurricane Maria is pictured above spinning to the east of the Leeward Islands on Tuesday

U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp said Tuesday that the eye is now expected to pass over the southwestern tip of St. Criox early Wednesday morning, on its way to Puerto Rico.

The Virgin Islands are already reeling from Hurricane Irma, which passed over the islands of St. Thomas and St. John earlier this month. Maria is expected to bring up to 12 inches of rain to St. John.

Meanwhile, Puerto Ricans are bracing for their first direct hit from a Category 4 or stronger hurricane in 85 years.

Puerto Ricians have been told to 'evacuate or die' after Maria laid waste to the island of Dominica overnight.

The Category 5 hurricane is expected to make landfall Wednesday morning, but conditions will start deteriorating as early as Tuesday at noon.

Islanders have been warned to find shelter immediately, with the howling 160mph winds expected to 'devastate' the U.S. island territory, much of which is still without power after a brush with Hurricane Irma earlier this month.

Frantic attempts are also being made to prepare for the monster storm before it slams into the British Virgin Islands, where a curfew has been put in place as rescuers battle to clear the damage already caused by Hurricane Irma.

It comes as experts revealed Maria has developed a dangerous 'pinhole eye' producing a more compact center and intensifying its power. It's still too soon to know whether it poses any threat to the mainland U.S.

An uprooted tree covers a small wooden and iron house in the village of Viard - Petit Bourg, near Pointe-a-Pitre, on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe after the passage of Hurricane Maria

A boat lays on its side off the shore of Sainte-Anne on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, early Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017, after the passing of Hurricane Maria

An uprooted tree covers a small house in the village of Viard - Petit Bourg, near Pointe-a-Pitre, on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe after the passage of Hurricane Maria

Flooded cars are pictured in the Lauricisque district of Pointe-a-Pitre on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe, after the passage of Hurricane Maria

A flooded road and a bus stop are pictured on Boulevard Chanzy in downtown Pointe-a-Pitre on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe after the passage of Hurricane Maria

The ocean was still fierce after Hurricane Maria swept past the island of Martinique on Tuesday

People walk by a fallen tree off the shore of Sainte-Anne on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, early Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017, after the passing of Hurricane Maria

A stranded pleasure boat is pictured in Goyave on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe, after the passage of Hurricane Maria

A man clears the road from fallen tree branches in the village of Viard - Petit Bourg on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe after the pafallen ssage of Hurricane Maria

A picture shows an uprooted tree on the beach in Saint-Pierre, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, after it was hit by Hurricane Maria on Tuesday

An uprooted tree is pictured on Boulevard Chanzy in downtown Pointe-a-Pitre on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe after the passage of Hurricane Maria

Fallen tree branches partly cover a small wooden house in the village of Viard - Petit Bourg, near Pointe-a-Pitre, on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe after the passage of Hurricane Maria

An uprooted tree is pictured near the village of Viard - Petit Bourg on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe after the passage of Hurricane Maria

A man takes pictures in a flooded seafront after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe island, France, September 19, 2017

A car approaches to a flooded seafront after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe island, France, September 19, 2017

Debris lies on a flooded seafront after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe island, France, September 19, 2017

Powerful winds and rains from Hurricane Maria battered the city of Petit-Bourg on the French overseas Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. This was the scene today as islanders were waking up to devastation

Overnight, the storm caused chaos on Dominica and destroyed the house of prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit who had to be rescued. The 44-year-old, who has led the country since 2004, said he had been at the 'complete mercy of the hurricane' before making it to safety.

But he later warned the island of 72,000 people has lost 'all that money can buy', adding on Facebook: 'My greatest fear for the morning is that we will wake to news of serious physical injury and possible deaths as a result of likely landslides triggered by persistent rains.'

Unconfirmed reports have suggested that Dominica's main hospital has had its roof torn off, leaving patients vulnerable to the hurricane and local residents without access to medical care.

Power has gone down across the majority of Dominica. The DBS radio station has stopped broadcasting on the island after reports that the building had been smashed by falling objects in 160mph winds.

Fierce winds and driving rain lashed mountainous Dominica for hours late Monday night. Its winds reached sustained maximum speeds of 160mph as it plowed into the tiny country - and forecasters warned it might become even stronger, the latest blow in the worst hurricane season for seven years.

A police official on the island, Inspector Pellam Jno Baptiste, said late Monday night that there were no immediate reports of casualties but it was too dangerous for officers to do a full assessment as the storm raged outside.

'Where we are, we can't move,' he said in a brief phone interview late Monday night while hunkered down against the region's second Category 5 hurricane this month.

On the nearby island of Guadeloupe, footage showed ferocious tree-bending winds whipping through deserted streets and shaking lamp posts when the storm first hit.

There have been reports of widespread devastation on Dominica. As of 5am ET, the eye of the storm had moved west from the island as it sets a course towards Puerto Rico

Experts say that the hurricane will likely get weaker as it continues on towards Turks and Caicos at the end of the week

Meanwhile, the damage appeared to be minimal on the French island of Martinique, after Maria roared past the island on Tuesday.

About 25,000 households lost electricity and two small towns are without potable water.

The head of French civil security, Jacques Witkowski, told reporters in Paris on Tuesday that it was too soon to say whether the French department of Guadaloupe was so lucky. Communications there have been difficult. He says at least two people suffered minor injuries.

The prefect, or highest French official, of Guadaloupe, Eric Maire, said in a video via Twitter that some roads and homes were flooded and heavy rain is expected to continue. He told island residents to 'remain inside' amid the flood threat and warnings by forecasters of possible landslides.

France is upping its manpower in the region, with two flights taking off on Tuesday, the first carrying 160 firefighters and military personnel to Martinique.

People take refuge in an hurricane shelter in La Savane, on the French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin, on Tuesday

People take refuge in an hurricane shelter on Tuesday in La Savane, on the French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin

People board up windows of a business in preparation for the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico last night

With St. Croix not expected to take a direct hit from Maria, locals started evacuating on Tuesday

People in Christiansted, St. Croix carry supplies onto a ferry taking them to St. Thomas on Tuesday, ahead of Maria's scheduled landfall

Crew and volunteers load the Queen Elizabeth IV ferry with supplies and passengers for St. Thomas on Tuesday in St. Croix

Meanwhile, in the British Virgin Islands, Royal Marines helped clear debris from Hurricane Irma ahead of Hurricane Maria on Tuesday

Billionaire Sir Richard Branson speaks with Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Paul Maynard on the island of Virgin Gorda on Tuesday. Branson owns a private island in the British Virgin Islands, and hunkered down at his residence during Hurricane Irma. It seems as though he's here to stay for the second major hurricane to hit the area this month

Branson's private home on Necker Island is seen above at Irma on Tuesd

Members of the Venezuelan Civil Protection load supplies with humanitarian aid bound for for the island of Dominica after the Caribbean island was battered by Hurricane Maria on Tuesday

Bottles water appeared to be an important item for the people on Dominica. Above, the Venezuelan Civil Protection group pitching in to help the island on Tuesday

Inhabitants of the neighborhood La Perla take refuge in the city hall, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday

Inhabitants of the neighborhood La Perla take refuge in the city hall, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday

People walk along a flooded seafront after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe island, France, September 19, 2017

A man takes a video in a flooded seafront after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe island, France, September 19, 2017

People run away of water after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe island, France, September 19, 2017

People looks for goods during a blackout in a supermarket in preparation for Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico September 19, 2017

People looks for goods during a blackout in a supermarket in preparation for Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico September 19, 2017

Youth stand on the bench of a bus stop to not to get wet after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe island, France, September 19, 2017

Maria weakened briefly before dawn Tuesday to a still major Category 4 storm after its rampage over Dominica. But the fluctuation in intensity proved short-lived as a hurricane hunter plane reported the storm had regained its fearsome Category 5 status within hours.

Meanwhile, emergency steps are being undertaken on the British Virgin Islands to prepare for the looming onslaught, although an official co-ordinating the operation has warned the islands had been 'weakened' by Irma and the situation 'doesn't look good'.

A curfew is in place and the governor Gus Jaspert warned of a race against time to clear up Irma debris to stop it becoming 'missiles' when Maria hits.

Another British overseas territory, Montserrat, has been issued with a hurricane warning amid fears Maria could bring a devastating storm surge, while torrential rain could trigger deadly flash floods.

The Foreign Office is warning against travelling to the BVI, Monterrat, Anguilla and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

UK International Development Secretary Priti Patel said the Government is under no illusion about the possible impact of the strengthening hurricane and said they were taking steps to prepare communities.

Guadeloupe, the French island near Dominica, has already experienced heavy flooding amid warnings many communities could be submerged

A tree lies on the ground among storm debris after Hurricane Maria lashed the French overseas Caribbean island of Guadeloupe overnight

Monster: The hurricane has smashed Dominica and Guadeloupe overnight, leading to extensive damage. This was the scene in the city of Petit-Bourg, Guadeloupe

In just a 27-hour span between Sunday and Monday, Maria strengthened from a Category 1 hurricane to a Category 5 hurricane. When it hit Dominica, it weakened to a Category 4, but only for a brief period before returning to top strength.

Fluctuations in intensity were expected, and forecasters have warned Maria would likely intensify over the next 24 hours or longer, noting its eye had shrunk to a compact 10 miles across and warning: 'Maria is developing the dreaded pinhole eye.'

That generally means an extremely strong hurricane will get even mightier, said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami. He said it just like when a spinning ice skater brings in their arms and rotates faster.

'You just don't see those in weaker hurricanes,' he said.

The storm's hurricane-force winds extended out about 35 miles and tropical storm-force winds out as far as 125 miles.

A woman stands at the entrance of her house after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe island, France, September 19, 2017

Men remove the decoration from a restaurant in preparation for Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico September 19, 2017

People take a sailboat out of the water in preparation for Hurricane Maria in Puerto de Jobos, Puerto Rico September 19, 2017

People take a sailboat out of the water in preparation for Hurricane Maria in Puerto de Jobos, Puerto Rico September 19, 2017

Cars drive on a highway during rain before the arrival of the Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico September 19, 2017

A man covers the windows of a supermarket in preparation for Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Tuesday

Maria is expected to be the first Category 4 or higher hurricane to directly hit Puerto Rico in 85 years. Above, preparations in San Juan on Tuesday

An empty pier is seen before the arrival of the Hurricane Maria in Puerto de Jobos, Puerto Rico September 19, 2017

French firefighters and military rescue team board a military plane, to assist with Hurricane Maria relief efforts in the French Caribbean islands at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy, France, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017

Relief supplies are loaded to a French army plane to help the local population of the French Caribbean islands at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy, France, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017

That means that those in the line of Maria's path will start feeling the effects of the storm hours before it hits.

Hurricane warnings were posted for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat. A tropical storm warning was issued for Martinique, Antigua and Barbuda, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, St. Lucia and Anguilla.

Forecasters said storm surge could raise water levels by 6 to 9 feet near the storm's center. The storm was predicted to bring 10 to 15 inches of rain across the islands, with more in isolated areas.

The current forecast track would carry it about 22 miles south of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands late Tuesday and early Wednesday, territorial Gov. Kenneth Mapp said.

'We are going to have a very, very long night,' Mapp said as he urged people in the territory to finish any preparations.

St. Thomas and St. John are still stunned from a direct hit by Hurricane Irma, which did extensive damage and caused four deaths on the two islands.

Barry University said it chartered a private plane to carry students and staff from its St. Croix facility to Florida in preparation for Maria. It said 72 people connected to the Barry's Physician Assistant Program and a few pets were on Monday's evacuation flight.

Roosevelt Skerrit, who has led the country since 2004, updated his citizens on Facebook as the hurricane ripped the roof from his home

Roosevelt Skerrit, Dominica's prime minister, posted on Facebook that his house was flooding, but was later rescued. Other countries will soon be hit - and Maria is getting stronger

The 44-year-old said he was at the 'complete mercy of the hurricane' before announcing that he had been rescued

THE 'PEAK PERIOD' FOR HURRICANES Experts say the region is deep in the 'peak period' of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June to November. But in recent weeks all the right ingredients have been in place for ferocious winds to form, says Dr Steven Godby, an expert in natural hazards here at Nottingham Trent University. He explained: 'Sea surface temperatures are higher than average, wind shear – which is the change in speed and direction of winds from surface level to high in the atmosphere – is low and there has not been any major input of dry, dusty air from the Sahara which can impact the development of these storms. 'Having so many hurricanes is newsworthy, but not unusual, and the consensus among forecasters was for the 2017 hurricane season to be above average including between 2-5 major (category 3 or above) hurricanes.' The season has already seen four 'major' hurricanes making it the most destructive season since 2005. Hurricane Harvey caused devastation in Texas while Hurricane Irma destroyed Caribbean islands in its path earlier this month. Advertisement

Authorities in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico warned that people in wooden or flimsy homes should find safe shelter before the storm's expected arrival there on Wednesday.

'You have to evacuate. Otherwise, you're going to die,' said Hector Pesquera, the island's public safety commissioner. 'I don't know how to make this any clearer.'

Gov. Ricardo Rossello said Puerto Rico had 500 shelters capable of taking in up to 133,000 people in a worst-case scenario. He also said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was ready to bring drinking water and help restore power immediately after the storm, which could hit as a Category 5 hurricane.

Puerto Rico is expected to take a direct hit from Maria, which will likely devastate the island. Some 70,000 people there still without power because of Irma, which merely brushed the island, and 200 are still in shelters.

Rosselló warned the hurricane will have a much greater impact than Irma.

'It will essentially devastate most of the island,' he told USA Today adding: 'It will provoke massive flooding in flooding prone regions ... our priority is to save lives.'

The U.S. territory on Monday imposed rationing of basic supplies including water, milk, baby formula, canned foods, batteries, flashlights and other items.

Roberto Garcia, with the National Weather Service in San Juan, said: 'That is catastrophic in every way. People have to act, and they have to act now. They can no longer wait for a miracle.'

Guadeloupe, the French island near Dominica, has already experienced heavy flooding amid warnings many communities could be submerged.

On Dominica, Skerrit used Facebook to update islanders through the night, writing: 'Certainly no sleep for anyone in Dominica. I believe my residence may have sustained some damage,' he wrote at first.

But he then added: 'We do not know what is happening outside. We do not dare look out. All we hear is the sound of galvanise (galvanised iron roofing) flying. The sound of the fury of the wind. As we pray for its end!'

An hour later, the Prime Minister posted dramatically: 'Rough! Rough! Rough!' He then added, 'my roof is gone. I am at the complete mercy of the hurricane. House is flooding.'

As Dominican citizens and others around the world looked on, a few minutes later he concluded: 'I have been rescued,' before explaining that the loss of his roof 'triggered an avalanche of torn away roofs in the city and the countryside'.

The Prime Minister then appealed to 'friendly nations and organisations with helicopter services' for help.

In referring to the galvanised iron roofs, Mr Skerrit was identifying one of the worst hazards in a long list of dangers facing islanders.

Flung into the air by hurricane-force winds, the tin sheeting becomes in effect flying blades.

A woman from the island of Barbuda, told MailOnline last night that she had seen a horse cut in half by a sheet of the roofing when the island was flattened by Hurricane Irma.

Weather maps have charted where Maria is likely to strike and warned of the risk to lives and properties on affected islands

Danger: Maps show there is an 'extreme risk to lives and property' on a number of islands including Puerto Rico

Maria is following a similar path to 180mph Hurricane Irma, which struck earlier this month. However, Maria slammed into islands further south

CURFEW IN BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS A curfew has been put in place on the British Virgin Islands amid fears debris from Hurricane Irma will turn into deadly missiles when Maria hits. Frantic efforts are still being made to clear up after Irma laid waste to the British overseas territory. Governor Gus Jaspert told the BBC this morning that it was facing an 'absolutely unprecedented event: to have a category five [Irma] followed by another category five.' Rescuers have had to 'switch tack' from recovery to preparation ahead of Maria which is expected to dump large quantities of rain and hammer frail buildings. He said: 'I've imposed a curfew in effect from now right up to when the hurricane passes so the roads are clear. 'We are going to send truck after truck to clear up all of the debris. I'm appealing to all of the community to show that spirit which they have shown so far of helping out, clearing up, getting the debris off the streets so it doesn't turn into missiles flying at buildings.' Advertisement

Hurricane Maria started as a tropical storm last week but quickly gained power as it approached the Caribbean islands.

In just a 27 hour period between Sunday and Monday, it was upgraded from a Category 1 to a Category 5 - just in time to make landfall on Dominica, a mountainous island prone to landslides in heavy rains.

Dominica last suffered serious weather damage during Tropical Storm Erica in 2015, which dumped 33-inches of rain, triggering widespread mudslides.

The entire town of Petite Savanne had to be evacuated and 30 people were killed.

It is thought that Dominica has not seen such severe weather since Hurricane David, a Category Five storm, killed more than 2,000 people on the island in 1979. In 1930, Hurricane San Zenon also left thousands of Dominicans dead.

Heavy wind and rain continues to lash a number of islands in the Caribbean, with particular fears for Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico as well as Dominica.

Barbuda and St Martin, both of which suffered the brunt of Hurricane Irma and were almost totally destroyed, are also suffering the onslaught of Maria tonight.

Even though they do not lie directly in the path of the storm, the mountains of debris lying in the streets and the thousands of ruined buildings on the islands make the level of danger severe.

Barbuda is understood to have been entirely evacuated yesterday for the first time in about 300 years, with many residents taken to nearby Antigua. The island is now guarded by Royal Marines.

Meanwhile, Jose remained a Category 1 hurricane in the Atlantic as it churned up dangerous surf and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast.

It was about 350 miles south-southwest of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and had top sustained winds of 75 mph.

The ocean washed over parts of North Carolina's Outer Banks as Hurricane Jose passed well to the east, and five people were knocked off a coastal jetty in Rhode Island by high surf caused by the storm.

Officials said rescuers had to fight through rough surf to load the injured onto stretchers and get them to shore. All five were taken to a hospital with minor and major injuries.

In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Norma's threat to Mexico's Los Cabos resort area at the southern end of the Baja California Peninsula seemed to ease as forecasters said the storm's center was likely to remain offshore.

Norma had winds of about 50 mph and it was centered about 175 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas. The Baja California Sur state government prepared storm shelters and canceled classes for Monday.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lee weakened into a tropical depression far out in the Atlantic while Hurricane Otis weakened far out in the Pacific. Neither threatened land.

Dominica has lost 'all what money can buy' after Maria intensified into a 'potentially catastrophic' category five storm. Images from nearby Guadeloupe (above) show the power of the hurricane

Storm coming: Hurricane Maria has unleashed its fury on the Caribbean island of Dominica, destroying the Prime Minister's residence and forcing him to be rescued. This was the scene as heavy rain and wind lashed the nearby island of Guadeloupe overnight

Maria has brought 160mph winds and lashing rain to a region already hammered by Hurricane Irma earlier this month. Pictures show how flooding has hit Pointe-a-Pitre on Guadeloupe today

All of this makes this year's hurricane season the worst in years by any number of standards, USA Today reported.

For a start, it's the first year since 2010 that four hurricanes in Category 3 or above had been spotted by September 18.

In total, seven hurricanes have formed this year - that's double the number that would usually accumulate by this point, said Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach.

The energy generated by the storms - known as Accumulated Cyclone Energy - is also double the usual amount.

In fact, it hasn't been this high since 2005 - the year that Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana.

Another double: So far this year hurricanes have been circulating in the Atlantic for 30 days thus far. Usually 15 days is the average. That's the highest figure since 2004.

It's been a shocking - and dangerous - year from a U.S. perspective, too. Never before in recorded hurricane history - a full 166 years - have two Category 4 hurricanes hit the U.S.

But this year both Harvey and Irma struck various States.

Captain George Eatwell drops off a box of aid for an islander staying at Rainbow Home shelter, on the British Virgin Islands amid preparations for Hurricane Maria

Preparations: British troops handed out supplies on the British Virgin Islands yesterday as Maria headed north