A second catastrophic hurricane is on track to devastate much of the Caribbean, barely two weeks after category five Hurricane Irma departed. In addition to Maria, a much weaker Hurricane Jose will affect the Mid-Atlantic and New England.

"The powerful storm, which made landfall Monday night [on Dominica], has since been downgraded to a Category 4 with sustained winds of 155 mph," reported Euan McKirdy, Joe Sterling and Holly Yan for CNN on Tuesday at 3:09 AM ET. "After it passes over Dominica it is on course to score a direct hit on the US territory of Puerto Rico -- the first hurricane of its strength to do so in 85 years."
The ferocity of Maria bears striking similarities to Hurricane Andrew, the Category 5 hurricane which hit the Bahamas and Florida in 1992, says CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri. Both storms are compact, and Maria's wind speed comes close to that of Hurricane Andrew -- 165 mph -- when it hit southern Florida.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit told CNN that the Caribbean island nation of 72,000 residents has been "devastated." It was so powerful that it tore the roof off his residence.
"This hurricane stayed in the country for a very, very long time and (was) just unrelenting," he added. "I don't think there were very many roofs which would survive the hurricane."
A statement from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that its record-topping winds reached 160 miles per hour when it hit the island nation. In an update the Center said that reports "indicate significant damage to structures has occurred in Dominica."
A hurricane warning from the NHC remains in effect for Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis, and Montserrat, the US and British Virgin Islands as well as Puerto Rico, Culebra, and Vieques.
Puerto Rico prepares
Calling its potential impact "catastrophic," Puerto Rico's governor, Ricardo Rosselló, said that the island was expected to experience tropical storm force winds for about two and a half days and sustained high level hurricane winds for "the better part of a day."
Hurricane Jose
This category 1 storm, "swirling around in the Atlantic about 235 miles east of the North Carolina coast," has prompted the National Hurricane Center to issue "a tropical storm watch...for the coast of Long Island, New York, from Fire Island to Port Jefferson, as well as southern New England, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket," reports NBC News on Tuesday,12:29 PM ET.
The Weather Channel forecasts possible impacts including coastal flooding from Tuesday through Thursday for the East Coast.
FULL STORY: Dominica PM: Hurricane Maria 'devastates' island

The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.

Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.

Push and Pull: The Link Between Walkability and Affordability
The increased demand for walkable urban spaces could make them more and more exclusionary if cities don’t pursue policies to limit displacement and boost affordability.

Opinion: Connecticut Vision Zero Bill A Step in the Right Direction
The proposed legislation could energize efforts to eliminate fatal crashes and fix the structural flaws that make roads inherently more dangerous.

Tacoma Developing New Housing Policy
The city’s Home in Tacoma plan is designed to address the region’s growth and rising housing prices, but faces local backlash over density and affordability concerns.

Green Alleys: A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management
Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.
Town of Palm Beach
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
York County Government
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.