(22 Sep 1998) Spanish/Nat

Puerto Ricans woke up to scenes of devastation on Tuesday after Hurricane Georges wrought havoc across the island.

Georges left at least six dead as it cut through the northeast Caribbean with winds blowing at speeds of up to 110 mph (177 kph).

Meteorologists warn it is now headed towards the densely populated and highly vulnerable Dominican Republic.

Puerto Rico endured the full devastating force of hurricane Georges on Monday night and on Tuesday they awoke to scenes of chaos.

Its stripped forests, flooded hotels, shattered glass, flipped small airplanes, whisked away satellite dishes and forced many thousands into shelters.

At least six were reported dead as it cut through the northeast Caribbean with winds blowing at speeds of up to 110 mph (177 kph).

Blocked roads prevented rescuers from responding to calls for help, and the upscale Conquistador Resort which overlooks the sea in Fajardo sustained extensive damage.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"What we have seen around this area, having walked around , is a lot of damage. We did not expect it to be this bad- as you can see palm trees have been blown down, the streets flooded. The hotels in the Conquistador resort are completely destroyed. We really did not expect this. It was much stronger than the last hurricane - Hurricane Hugo."
SUPER CAPTION: Raul Umpirre, hotel owner

More than 80 percent of Puerto Rico's 3.8 million people lost electricity Monday and more than 70 percent had no water.

Countless roads and highways were choked by fallen trees and poles, dangling power lines, antennas, awnings, tin roofs and other debris.

Flooding isolated dozens of neighbourhoods.

One of the most powerful storms to hit the Caribbean in years, Georges unleashed a landslide near San Juan that killed three people.

On Tuesday U.S. President Bill Clinton has declared Puerto Rico and the U-S Virgin Islands disaster areas, authorising immediate release of U-S recovery aid.

But there could be worst to come.

Georges is headed for the Dominican Republic and Haiti, where many of that island's 15 million people live in substandard housing that could leave them exposed to the hurricane's fury.

At 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), Georges' centre was about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Hurricane warnings have also been posted for the southeastern
Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands and a hurricane watch was in effect in eastern Cuba.

Concern was growing even in Florida, where workers put shutters over the windows at Key West City Hall.

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