As of 8am Tuesday, Maria is a category 5 hurricane with max sustained winds at 160mph.
The storm will maintain its major hurricane status the next several days as it moves over favorable atmospheric and oceanic conditions.
Life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic flash flooding, mudslides and massive waves are expected as Maria moves thru the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
The last major storm to hit Puerto Rico was Hugo in 1989.
Follow Adrienne Green on Twitter @adrienneABC2 and like her on Facebookfor updates!
