Post by Jaga on Sept 22, 2017 4:23:30 GMT -7
and this situation may stay for months or years, since the power grid was not updated there for years. Puerto Rico is in deficit and the US refused to help its territory.
We will see:
NEWS SEP 21 2017, 6:46 PM ET
Hurricane Maria Leaves Puerto Rico Facing Months Without Power
Millions of people across Puerto Rico woke up Thursday to a grim new reality.
Hurricane Maria, the most powerful storm to hit the U.S. territory in almost a century, ravaged the island, demolishing homes and knocking out all electricity. It could take half a year to restore power to the nearly 3.5 million people who live there.
The eye of the storm moved offshore overnight, but the danger remained Thursday: Intense flooding was reported, particularly in San Juan, where many residential streets looked like rushing rivers.
The storm has been blamed for the deaths of 18 people, including two in Puerto Rico, but many fear that toll could climb as authorities were beginning to assess the extent of the damage and search for survivors.
Puerto Rico Could Be Powerless For Months After Maria Play Facebook Twitter Embed
Puerto Rico Could Be Powerless For Months After Maria 1:18
San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz said the devastation in the capital city was unlike any she had ever seen.
"The San Juan that we knew yesterday is no longer there," Cruz told MSNBC. "We're looking at 4 to 6 months without electricity."
Yennifer Álvarez Jaimes, Gov. Ricardo Rosselló's press secretary, said all power across the economically strained island had been knocked out.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the entire island shortly after 12:30 a.m. ET Thursday. Residents were urged to move to higher ground if possible.
PHOTOS: Hurricane Maria Lashes Puerto Rico, Storm-Battered Caribbean
The storm, with its fierce winds and heavy rain, toppled trees, shattered windows, and ripped roofs and doors off homes. Widespread flooding blocked many highways and streets across the island Thursday, creating a maze that forced drivers to go against traffic.
Image: PUERTORICO-CARIBBEAN-WEATHER-HURRICANE
A man wades through a flooded road in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 20. Ricardo Ardengo / AFP - Getty Images
Gregorio Cortes 39, a doctor in Vistamar Marina, a community in Carolina, Puerto Rico, said several highways were impassible.
"This morning I wasn’t able to get across several major highways here since there’s flooding everywhere and fallen trees," he said by phone Thursday evening.
Cell phone communication was completely down from Thursday morning until around 4 p.m., he said, leaving Cortes unable to reach his parents and grandparents.
"It’s a feeling of impotence that you have you want to do so much and you can do so little," he said.
Cortes said he traveled to their houses, and thankfully found his relatives safe and sound.
But while the trip usually took about ten or 15 minutes, this time the trip took between an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes, he said.
www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/hurricane-maria-leaves-puerto-rico-facing-months-without-power-n803326
We will see:
NEWS SEP 21 2017, 6:46 PM ET
Hurricane Maria Leaves Puerto Rico Facing Months Without Power
Millions of people across Puerto Rico woke up Thursday to a grim new reality.
Hurricane Maria, the most powerful storm to hit the U.S. territory in almost a century, ravaged the island, demolishing homes and knocking out all electricity. It could take half a year to restore power to the nearly 3.5 million people who live there.
The eye of the storm moved offshore overnight, but the danger remained Thursday: Intense flooding was reported, particularly in San Juan, where many residential streets looked like rushing rivers.
The storm has been blamed for the deaths of 18 people, including two in Puerto Rico, but many fear that toll could climb as authorities were beginning to assess the extent of the damage and search for survivors.
Puerto Rico Could Be Powerless For Months After Maria Play Facebook Twitter Embed
Puerto Rico Could Be Powerless For Months After Maria 1:18
San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz said the devastation in the capital city was unlike any she had ever seen.
"The San Juan that we knew yesterday is no longer there," Cruz told MSNBC. "We're looking at 4 to 6 months without electricity."
Yennifer Álvarez Jaimes, Gov. Ricardo Rosselló's press secretary, said all power across the economically strained island had been knocked out.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the entire island shortly after 12:30 a.m. ET Thursday. Residents were urged to move to higher ground if possible.
PHOTOS: Hurricane Maria Lashes Puerto Rico, Storm-Battered Caribbean
The storm, with its fierce winds and heavy rain, toppled trees, shattered windows, and ripped roofs and doors off homes. Widespread flooding blocked many highways and streets across the island Thursday, creating a maze that forced drivers to go against traffic.
Image: PUERTORICO-CARIBBEAN-WEATHER-HURRICANE
A man wades through a flooded road in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 20. Ricardo Ardengo / AFP - Getty Images
Gregorio Cortes 39, a doctor in Vistamar Marina, a community in Carolina, Puerto Rico, said several highways were impassible.
"This morning I wasn’t able to get across several major highways here since there’s flooding everywhere and fallen trees," he said by phone Thursday evening.
Cell phone communication was completely down from Thursday morning until around 4 p.m., he said, leaving Cortes unable to reach his parents and grandparents.
"It’s a feeling of impotence that you have you want to do so much and you can do so little," he said.
Cortes said he traveled to their houses, and thankfully found his relatives safe and sound.
But while the trip usually took about ten or 15 minutes, this time the trip took between an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes, he said.
www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/hurricane-maria-leaves-puerto-rico-facing-months-without-power-n803326