Hurricane Maria was a powerful tropical cyclone that struck the Caribbean in September 2017. It formed on September 16 and rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane. Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20, causing widespread destruction and severe flooding across the island. The hurricane resulted in significant damage to infrastructure, homes, and the power grid in Puerto Rico, leading to a prolonged humanitarian crisis. Recovery efforts were hampered by the extent of the devastation, and the storm is estimated to have caused thousands of fatalities and billions of dollars in economic losses.