Hurricane Maria is barreling toward a potentially devastating collision with islands in the Caribbean, and Tampa Bay residents with relatives in the area are worried.
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Nilsa Henry runs Nilsa's Puerto Rican Bistro in Tampa. Her sister and other relatives live in a part of Puerto Rico that could be directly in the storm's path.
"She lives in Arecibo, and she is very scared because it's coming up that way, so she's very, very scared and we're scared for her, too," Henry said.
Puerto Rico avoided a direct hit from Hurricane Irma, but saw blackouts and wind damage across much of the territory.
Henry fears Hurricane Maria could be much worse. She is watching weather forecasts on TV's at the restaurant, and said she's already sent her family money to help them recover after the storm.
She is also trying to keep in contact with her sister as long as phone service is still available.
"I talk to her every hour, every hour. She's going to go to a church and stay in a church," Henry said. "It's going to become a shelter for sick people so she's going to work there during the storm."
Though she said she won't feel comfortable until she knows her sister and other relatives in Puerto Rico are ok following the storm, she said no matter what Maria brings, she's confident Puerto Ricans will get through it and rebuild.
"I think so, yes, absolutely," Henry said. "They always do."