Puerto Ricans in Flimsy Homes Warned to ‘Evacuate or Die’

An historic shanty town overlooks the ocean at the San Juan National Historic Site in Old San Juan. Authorities in Puerto Rico are urging residents of poorly made houses to evacuate as Hurricane Maria sets a collision course with the U.S. island territory. Eric Pancer/Wikimedia Commons

Puerto Rico, which was spared the worst of Hurricane Irma, is bracing for devastation from Hurricane Maria as the territory’s public safety minister warns residents to “evacuate or die.”

With maximum sustained winds near 160 mph and some higher gusts, “Maria is a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane,” warns the National Hurricane Center.