HAVANA: Hurricane Fiona hit the southwest coast of Puerto Rico on Sunday, causing landslides and destroying roads and power lines.

Hundreds of people across the island were evacuated to safety as the water rose rapidly. Muddy water flooded the first floors of buildings, inside cars and the runway of an airport in the southern part of the island. Forecasters said the storm threatened to dump "historic" rain on Sunday and Monday, with up to 30 inches (76 cm) possible in eastern and southern Puerto Rico.

"The damages that we are seeing are catastrophic," said Gov. Pedro Pierluisi.

The storm washed away a bridge in the central mountain town of Utuado that police say was installed by the National Guard after Hurricane Maria hit in 2017. Large landslides were also reported, with water rushing down big slabs of broken asphalt and into gullies.

Fiona was centred about 45 miles (75 km) south-southeast of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph) Sunday night, the US National Hurricane Center said. It was moving west-northwest at 10 mph (17 kph).

Fiona struck on the anniversary of Hurricane Hugo, which hit Puerto Rico three years ago as a Category 3 storm.

Storm clouds covered the entire island and extended up to 140 miles (220 km) from the centre of Tropical Storm Fiona.

U.S. President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in the U.S. territory as the eye of the storm approached the island's southwest corner.

Power transmission and distribution company Luma said bad weather, including winds of up to 80 mph, disrupted transmission lines, causing a "blackout all over the island."

The current situation is so bad that we are unable to assess the damage losses. They added that it will take a few days to fully restore power.

Health centres run on generators - some of which have failed. Health Secretary Carlos Mellado said workers were being sought to repair generators at the Comprehensive Cancer Center, where several patients had to be evacuated.

Fiona hit two days before the anniversary of Hurricane Maria, a devastating Category 4 storm that struck on September 20, 2017, destroying the island's power grid and killing nearly 3,000 people.

The hurricane was predicted to devastate cities and towns along the southern coast of Puerto Rico, which have not yet fully recovered from the powerful earthquakes that will begin in late 2019.

A hurricane warning was posted for the Dominican Republic's eastern coast from Cabo Caucedo to Cabo Frances Viejo.

Fiona previously battered the eastern Caribbean, killing one man in the French territory of Guadeloupe when floods washed his home away, officials said. The storm also damaged roads, uprooted trees and destroyed at least one bridge.

St. Kitts and Nevis also reported flooding and downed trees but announced its international airport would reopen on Sunday afternoon.

In the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Madeline was forecast to cause heavy rains and flooding across parts of southwestern Mexico. The storm was centred about 160 miles (260 kilometres) west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes on Sunday night, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph