Salvation Army chaplains flying out of Milwaukee to help with hurricane relief

MILWAUKEE -- A group of chaplains from the Salvation Army will fly out of Milwaukee Thursday morning, September 21st to help with hurricane relief efforts.

The five chaplains will fly out of Mitchell Airport at 9 a.m.  This will be the Salvation Army's our second wave of Chaplains leaving for Hurricane Relief -- the first wave will be returning Saturday night.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Maria has regained its major hurricane status, rising to a Category 3 storm early Thursday.

An update from the Miami-based center says maximum sustained winds have increased to near 115 mph (185 kph) with higher gusts.

Maria's fierce core was centered about 55 miles (85 kilometers) northeast of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. It will continue to move away from Puerto Rico during the next several hours, and then pass offshore of the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic early Thursday. Maria should then move near the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas tonight and Friday.

President Donald Trump has declared a major disaster in the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricane Maria hit. Trump's action early Thursday makes federal funding available to people on the island of St. Croix.