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KINGSTON, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Hurricane Maria hit the eastern Caribbean state of Dominica on Monday evening, leaving a trail of damage that couldn't be assessed immediately.
Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit's post on Facebook on Monday evening said, "My roof is gone. I am at the complete mercy of the hurricane. House is flooding (sic)."
The prime minister was later rescued.
Schools and government offices in Dominica were closed on Monday and warnings issued, urging people to avoid dangerous areas.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said that Maria's maximum wind speed reached 160 miles per hour (about 257 km) when it hit Dominica.
In August 2015, tropical storm Erika battered Dominica and killed 31 people.
