Things don't look any better with the most recent forecast for the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Hispaniola and of course, Puerto Rico. Haiti gets such terrible mudslides, that even a glancing blow from Maria could result in loss of life. If there is any bright spot from this latest forecast for the U.S., it's that Maria seems to be on a path to avoid Florida and the mainland and head northbound into open sea. That's no consolation though for those U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Including of course the same threat for all of the Virgin Islands and other territories in the northern Caribbean administered by Britain, France or the Netherlands.
Notice too that many of the islands in the path of Maria were some of the same ones devastated and flattened by Irma barely a week ago. Barbuda and Anguilla were very hard hit the last time. And unfortunately in their present situation they joined the big push for independence from colonial rule in the 80's. So they are independent countries now with no sugar daddy or Mother Country like the U.S., Britain, France or the Netherlands with deeper pockets to fall back on. For them they must rely on the "goodwill" of the "international community" which is vague at best and non-committal for the huge costs of long-term reconstruction.
Some of those islands were put back into the Stone Age. They have few buildings left intact...no electricity, no running water or drinking water, no phone service, no internet or viable communication, no sewage system, scarce and dwindling food...and utter lawlessness. Some countries gave up on trying to bring much more than temporary food supplies and drinkable water to those residents still there, and focused instead on evacuating the population from the islands, because they were no longer habitable to sustain human life.
Also especially hard hit were St. Martin, Antigua, St. Kitts, along with the U.S.V.I's of St. Thomas and St. John. And also The Bahamas. Although Maria is taking a more southerly path than Irma, many of these same islands are going to take another direct or near direct hit starting now and going on through most of this week.
I'm so glad Louis made it through the storm okay too. It's such a long story of how the week played out. I'll try to get to it quickly and concisely, which as many of you who know me in here, know that can be difficult for me to do. lol My mom, my aunt and I are all fine. Stressed out and very tired physically and emotionally. But okay.
It's too soon to tell if it will sputter itself out over Hispanola (Dominican Republic & Haiti) or Cuba. Or if it is even is bound for Florida or other parts of the U.S. Let's hope it veers due North and goes out to open sea. 
