<P> Originating from a tropical wave , Maria became a tropical storm on September 16 , east of the Lesser Antilles . Highly favorable environmental conditions allowed the storm to undergo explosive intensification as it approached the island arc . The hurricane reached Category 5 strength on September 18 upon making landfall on Dominica , producing extreme winds across the entire island . Afterwards , Maria achieved its peak intensity over the eastern Caribbean with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph ( 280 km / h ) and a pressure of 908 mbar ( hPa ; 26.81 inHg ) , making it the tenth-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record . Weakening slightly , but retaining its ferocious winds , Maria struck Puerto Rico as a high - end Category 4 hurricane on September 20 . Interaction with land weakened the hurricane , though it regained some strength as it moved northeast of The Bahamas . Moving slowly to the north , Maria gradually degraded and weakened to a tropical storm on September 28 . Embedded in the westerlies , Maria accelerated toward the east and later east - northeast over the open Atlantic , becoming extratropical on September 30 and dissipating by October 3 . </P>
<P> Originating from a tropical wave , Maria became a tropical storm on September 16 , east of the Lesser Antilles . Highly favorable environmental conditions allowed the storm to undergo explosive intensification as it approached the island arc . The hurricane reached Category 5 strength on September 18 upon making landfall on Dominica , producing extreme winds across the entire island . Afterwards , Maria achieved its peak intensity over the eastern Caribbean with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph ( 280 km / h ) and a pressure of 908 mbar ( hPa ; 26.81 inHg ) , making it the tenth-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record . Weakening slightly , but retaining its ferocious winds , Maria struck Puerto Rico as a high - end Category 4 hurricane on September 20 . Interaction with land weakened the hurricane , though it regained some strength as it moved northeast of The Bahamas . Moving slowly to the north , Maria gradually degraded and weakened to a tropical storm on September 28 . Embedded in the westerlies , Maria accelerated toward the east and later east - northeast over the open Atlantic , becoming extratropical on September 30 and dissipating by October 3 . </P>
when did the hurricane hit puerto rico 2017
when did the hurricane hit puerto rico 2017
September 20
September 20