Hurricane Fiona swamps Puerto Rico, knocking out power to island

A small boat tugs a small sailboat to safety as tropical storm Fiona approaches in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico September 17, 2022. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico/SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (Reuters) -Hurricane Fiona left most of Puerto Rico without power on Sunday, causing catastrophic flooding and landslides on the island before barreling toward the Dominican Republic, a government agency said.

The storm, hitting Puerto Rico five years after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, ripped up asphalt from roads, swept away a major road bridge, closed airports, swamped cars and dumped rain in such quantities that some rivers were rising 20 feet in just hours, according to eyewitnesses.