All of Puerto Rico without power after Hurricane Fiona makes landfall

Puerto Rico was without power as nightfall approached Sunday amid catastrophic flooding, hurricane force winds and the destruction of at least one bridge, five years nearly to the day after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.

Hurricane Fiona made landfall at 3:20 p.m. and quickly caused upheaval, with government officials saying they were prepared to evacuate residents of hard-hit areas.

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said at a news conference Sunday that the tropical cyclone came “directly for the island.” Later, in a statement, he said that the eye of the storm was headed away but that the storm's impacts would continue through at least Monday.

Nearly 1.5 million utility customers were left without power, in the wake of winds estimated at 85 mph, well above minimum hurricane force. The National Hurricane Center said Puerto Rico could get 12 to 18 inches of rain, with 30 inches possible in some areas.

The government said in a statement late Sunday that an estimated 196,000 people were without potable water as a result of the storm. Officials counted 1,033 evacuees in 130 storm shelters set up for Fiona, it said. And about 1 in 5 cellphone towers were inoperable, the government said.