page_title: Hurricane Maria (2011)
hierarchical_section_title: Hurricane Maria (2011)
caption_attribution_description: English: Hurricane Maria on September 15, 2011
context_page_description: Hurricane Maria was a Category 1 hurricane that made landfall on the island of Newfoundland during September 2011. Originating from a tropical wave over the central Atlantic on September 6, Maria moved toward the west and slowly strengthened. While approaching the northern Leeward Islands, however, the system entered a region of higher vertical wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures, causing it to degenerate into a low-pressure area. It slowly curved toward the north and northeast around the western periphery of the subtropical ridge, and regained tropical storm status on September 10. Maria further strengthened to attain hurricane status while making its closest approach to Bermuda. The cyclone attained peak winds of 80 mph on September 16, but weakened thereafter because of an increase in wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures. Maria made landfall on the southeastern coast of Newfoundland during the afternoon hours of September 16 before becoming absorbed by a frontal system later on that same day.
  Despite its poor organization, Maria brought heavy rainfall to portions of the east Caribbean, notably Puerto Rico.
context_section_description: Hurricane Maria was a Category 1 hurricane that made landfall on the island of Newfoundland during September 2011. Originating from a tropical wave over the central Atlantic on September 6, Maria moved toward the west and slowly strengthened. While approaching the northern Leeward Islands, however, the system entered a region of higher vertical wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures, causing it to degenerate into a low-pressure area. It slowly curved toward the north and northeast around the western periphery of the subtropical ridge, and regained tropical storm status on September 10. Maria further strengthened to attain hurricane status while making its closest approach to Bermuda. The cyclone attained peak winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) on September 16, but weakened thereafter because of an increase in wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures. Maria made landfall on the southeastern coast of Newfoundland during the afternoon hours of September 16 before becoming absorbed by a frontal system later on that same day.
  Despite its poor organization, Maria brought heavy rainfall to portions of the east Caribbean, notably Puerto Rico. Numerous roadways and homes were flooded, and as the storm passed through the extreme northeastern Caribbean, over 15,000 people went without power. In addition, tropical storm-force winds were observed on many of the U.S. Virgin Islands. As the system passed west of Bermuda, brief tropical storm-force sustained winds were recorded, along with higher gusts; rainfall on the island, however, was minimal. In Newfoundland, strong winds were recorded, but rainfall totals were relatively minimal. There were no deaths reported in association with Maria, although the storm caused $1.3 million (2011 USD) in damage.
caption: Maria shortly before being upgraded to a hurricane on September 15
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