Hurricane Maria continues trek through Caribbean

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Hurricane Maria continues to blast the Caribbean islands after leaving nations like Dominica and Puerto Rico devastated.

The storm is maintaining its Category 3 status with 125-mph winds as of the 11 a.m. update. Its eye will pass near or just east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeast Bahamas on Friday.

LINK: Track Maria on MyFoxHurricane.com

The National Hurricane Center said Maria will gradually weaken heading into the weekend. Tropical storm conditions across portions of the Dominican Republic should subside on Friday, but hurricane conditions will spread to the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeast Bahamas.

Large destructive waves resulting from storm surge is anticipated in the Hurricane Warning region of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Puerto Rico officials said they face about four months without electricity after Maria knocked out the entire power grid.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is heading to the Caribbean for the second time in a week to get a firsthand look at the damage left behind by a hurricane.

The Democrat announced Thursday that he'll travel to Puerto Rico with New York state emergency response officials to help recovery efforts on the island ravaged by Hurricane Maria.

Cuomo's office says Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello asked his New York counterpart for emergency goods and services to help the recovery.

Cuomo's trip comes a week after he traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands at the invitation of the territory's governor to see the damage caused by Hurricane Irma. Cuomo vowed to send New York aid to the devastated islands.

LINK: Track Maria on MyFoxHurricane.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report.