Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens: Hurricane Maria September 18, 2017 The State Department warns U.S. citizens of the approach of Hurricane Maria, currently a Category 3 storm, and recommends U.S. citizens avoid non-essential travel to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The National Hurricane Center (NHC; www.nhc.noaa.gov ) reports that Hurricane Maria is headed for the Turks and …