Crisis in Puerto Rico

People sort through the rubble of their homes, looking for anything they can salvage. Others line up at water-filling stations to get clean drinking water or fill up buckets with water from streams or canals. Around them, buildings are in ruins. This is what life is like in Puerto Rico one week after the United States territory was struck by a major hurricane.

Hurricane Maria slammed into the island, which is home to nearly 3.5 million U.S. citizens, on September 20. It brought steady winds of 155 miles per hour and heavy rains that caused flooding. Hundreds of thousands of homes, schools, hospitals, and other buildings were damaged or destroyed. The storm has also caused at least 18 deaths in Puerto Rico.

A week later, as rescuers continue to search for survivors, most of the island still does not have electricity. Many people in communities throughout Puerto Rico also don’t have access to clean water, and fuel is in short supply. In addition, communication is cut off in many areas because the storm disabled cell phone towers.

Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rosselló said the island faces a humanitarian crisis.

Hurricanes are powerful storms that draw energy from warm ocean waters. Maria formed in the Atlantic Ocean. Before making landfall in Puerto Rico, it caused massive destruction on other Caribbean islands, including Dominica, Guadeloupe, and St. Croix, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Hurricane Maria barreled into the Caribbean less than two weeks after another major hurricane—Hurricane Irma—hammered northern Puerto Rico and other islands in the region. Maria dealt a tough blow to many communities already suffering from widespread damage. 

Because Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, Puerto Ricans are American citizens. However, they do not have all the constitutional rights of citizenship that people in the 50 states do. For example, Puerto Ricans do not have a representative in Congress who can vote and they cannot vote for president. In addition, the island is experiencing an economic crisis. Businesses are struggling to stay open, and many people don’t have jobs anymore.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has sent airplanes and ships loaded with more than 4 million meals, 6 million liters of water, building and medical supplies, and power generators to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The U.S. National Guard has also sent more than 2,500 workers to assist with rescue and recovery efforts. But getting aid to Puerto Rico has been challenging. It is located in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, and all of the damage and washed-away roads make it hard to move people and supplies around the island.

President Donald Trump has announced plans to visit Puerto Rico next week. 

“Those people are very important to all of us,” he said. “We are working very, very hard on Puerto Rico.” Trump also announced that he has appointed a high-ranking general to better coordinate relief efforts with federal agencies.

Thomas P. Bossert, Trump's homeland security adviser, said U.S. officials have been dispensing aid as fast as they can: "We are mobilizing and marshaling the resources of the United States of America in a way that is absolutely professional, fast and adequate to meet the needs.”

But many people are still criticizing what they claim is a slow response from the president to the disaster, both in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They also say more needs to be done. Puerto Rican officials fear the death toll from the storm will continue to rise if sick or wounded residents don’t get help soon.

“We need more help,” says Governor Rosselló.