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Hurricane Fiona strengthens into Category 3 storm after hammering Puerto Rico
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Hurricane Fiona strengthens into Category 3 storm after hammering Puerto Rico

Hurricane Fiona strengthened overnight to a Category 3 storm as it barreled towards the Turks and Caicos Islands after hammering Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

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Hurricane Fiona strengthened overnight to a Category 3 storm as it barreled towards the Turks and Caicos Islands after hammering Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

In Puerto Rico, the first major hurricane of the season has already caused widespread devastation, with at least one death reported after the storm dumped more than 2 feet of rain on the island and knocked out the U.S. territory’s electricity supply.

As of early Tuesday, the storm's maximum sustained winds had reached 115 mph, with higher gusts, the National Hurricane Center said. It warned that winds were expected to strengthen over the next couple of days, threatening to turn the storm into a Category 4 hurricane.

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In the Turks and Caicos, hurricane conditions already started to roll in with heavy rains hitting the British Overseas Territory, while a tropical storm warning was in effect for the nearby southeastern Bahamas.

A curfew was imposed in the Turks and Caicos on Monday, with residents of Grand Turk, South Caicos and Salt Cay ordered to clear the streets by 5 p.m. and remain indoors.

“Storms are unpredictable,” Turks and Caicos Premier Washington Misick warned in a statement on Monday from London, where he was attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. “You must therefore take every precaution to ensure your safety.” He was scheduled to return home on Thursday.

In Puerto Rico, Fiona has already caused widespread devastation, with multiple deaths reported after the storm dumped more than 2 feet of rain on the island and knocked out the U.S. territory's electricity supply.

"The damages that we are seeing are catastrophic," Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said.