Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi said more than 1,000 stranded residents were rescued after Hurricane Fiona hit the US territory on Monday.
The storm knocked out the island's power supply and caused catastrophic flooding and landslides after landfall, officials said, leading to 30 rescue operations. One man died while operating a generator.
The storm ripped asphalt from roads, swept away a major road bridge, swamped cars, forced airports to close and dumped so much rain that some rivers rose up to six metres in a few hours, witnesses said.
"This has been catastrophic," Mr Pierluisi said.
US President Joe Biden called him on Monday, promising federal support in the weeks to come as people are advised to stay home or in shelters with rescues continuing.
Mr Pierluisi said more than 2,000 people were in more than 100 shelters on the island. Only 30 per cent of the island has running water, he said.
Fiona, which hit five years after Hurricane Maria devastated the Caribbean island, was moving towards the Dominican Republic on Monday.
"The President said that he will ensure that the Federal team remains on the job to get it done, especially given that Puerto Rico is still recovering from the damage of Hurricane Maria five years ago this week," the White House said.
New York also said it was sending more than 100 Spanish-speaking State Police officers to the island.
The centre of the storm made landfall on the south-western coast of Puerto Rico near Punta Tocon at 3.20pm, with maximum sustained winds of about 140kph, making it a Category 1 hurricane, the National Hurricane Centre said.
Luma Energy, operator of the island's grid, said the entire electrical system had been shut down to protect its infrastructure.
Some power was being restored on Sunday night, with priority given to hospitals and essential community services, but reconnecting the whole island would take days.
Puerto Rico's grid remains fragile after Hurricane Maria knocked out 80 per cent of power lines in September 2017. The Category 5 storm killed more than 3,000 people on the island of 3.3 million.
No deaths were reported from Fiona by Sunday night, but authorities said it was too early to estimate the damage as the storm was forecast to cause torrential rain across Puerto Rico on Monday.
Officials said Fiona caused several landslides, while a bridge in the central town of Utuado was washed away by a swollen river. Ports were closed and flights out of the main airport cancelled.
US President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Sunday, authorising the Federal Emergency Management Agency to co-ordinate disaster relief and provide emergency protection.
A wide expanse of Puerto Rico was forecast to receive between 30 and 40 centimetres of rain, while some areas could be hit by up to 63.5cm, the NHC said.
Authorities opened more than 100 shelters and closed beaches and casinos.
Torrential rains and mudslides are also forecast for the Dominican Republic as the storm moves north-west, with the Turks and Caicos Islands expected to be affected on Tuesday.
Aid agencies in the Dominican Republic began evacuating high-risk areas in the east of the country on Sunday.
President Luis Abinader postponed a trip to New York for the UN General Assembly, while the start of the Dominican school year was pushed back from Monday to Wednesday.
One death tied to Fiona has been reported so far, in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.
Authorities said a man was found dead on Saturday after his house was swept away by floods. France will recognise a state of natural disaster for Guadeloupe, President Emmanuel Macron said.
— With reporting from agencies.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
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It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
