(WPTV/NBC) - As powerful Hurricane Maria closes in on Puerto Rico, some on the island nation evacuated to Florida just in time.
RELATED: Local residents fearful of Maria's impact on Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican leaders are warning people who live in wooden or unsafe homes in the country to evacuate or they are going to die.
They say the hurricane could wipe out power and communication across the island for days, and some places could be without power for months.
Many people fled to Miami, catching some of the last flights out of San Juan.
"Just adding this hurricane to that stress level, trying to figure out where I was gonna stay in Puerto Rico, and I think a lot of other people were on the same boat. I mean, you had everybody leaving from BVI, people leaving from the U.S. Virgin Islands, but I'm glad to be in Miami now," said evacuee Jeremiah Lever.
Some people evacuated the other islands to Puerto Rico so they could catch those last flights from San Juan.
Flights from San Juan to Miami on Wednesday are canceled.
Portions of this article courtesy of NBC News Channel