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Puerto Rico is facing a fresh crisis following Hurricane Maria aftermath as it was forced to evacuate thousands of people downstream of a failing dam at the Guajataca River.
The National Weather Service (NWS) for San Juan tweeted an emergency notice on September 22nd to all areas surrounding the river to evacuate immediately.
We just received new video of the dam failure coming out of Lake Guajataca, PR. #PuertoRico pic.twitter.com/LMdXzKEca4
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) September 22, 2017
“All areas surrounding the Guajataca River should evacuate Now. Their lives are in Danger!” wrote the NWS.
A flash flooding warning remains in place for the areas of Isabela and Quebradillas.
The impact of Hurricane Maria caused significant damage to Puerto Rico’s infrastructure. Govenor Ricardo Rossello shared pictures of the damage from an aerial tour.
Culminamos el vuelo sobre el sureste de Puerto Rico. Algunas imágenes del impacto de #Maria en la infraestructura. pic.twitter.com/fWuQtS2qeg
— Ricardo Rossello (@ricardorossello) September 24, 2017
“Communications are limited and we are doing what we need to bring the message, both here and by radio,” wrote the NWS.
The NWS reported that nearly 8,000 people live within the affected area.
A flash flood emergency was issued for the municipalities of Isabela and Quebradillas after dam operators reported the Guajataca Dam was failing.