Hurricane Maria rips into Caribbean and could sling Jose toward the US East Coast

Hurricane Maria made landfall Monday evening as an "extremely dangerous" Category 5 storm on the island of Dominica and is expected wreak devastation across the Caribbean over the next couple of days before making a turn north when it could dance around a meandering Hurricane Jose and send that storm flying toward the East Coast.

Only two weeks ago the Caribbean braced for Irma, a record-breaking Category 5 hurricane which wracked many of the same islands in Maria's path.

The 11 p.m. Eastern time update from the National Hurricane Center said that Maria was directly over Dominica, a former British colony with about 72,000 residents, bringing with it 160 miles-per-hour sustained maximum winds, storm surge, and heavy rainfall. The storm is moving at about 9 mph west northwest, and several islands, including Guadelupe, St. Kitts, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, are all in Maria's direct path and have Hurricane Warnings in effect.

The storm strengthened rapidly, jumping from a Category 1 storm to a 5 within a day. A Category 5 storm is capable of "catastrophic damage," according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. "A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months," the NHC says of a Category 5 hurricane.

Winds associated with Maria "are merciless!", said Dominca Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, who on Facebook revealed he was rescued after there was flooding in his house and the roof blew off. Similar reports of damage are being made across the island. "We shall survive by the grace of God!", the prime minister added.