As a category 4 Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on Wednesday, it left the entire island without electricity. According to CNN, Carlos Mercader, a spokesman from the governor’s office stated, “We are 100 percent without power. This is total devastation. Puerto Rico, in terms of the infrastructure, will not be the same. … This is something of historic proportions.” Puerto Rico Office of Emergency Management Agency stated that anyone who has electricity is using a generator, ABC News reports.
Before the storm made landfall, Carmen Yulín Cruz explained to AJ+ that the Caribbean island’s electrical infrastructure was already damaged during Hurricane Irma earlier in the month. Now, Puerto Ricans may find themselves without electricity for months. “So we’re looking at about four months of no electricity,” she said.
Currently, people on the mainland are struggling to get in touch with their relatives, and there’s no telling how long it will be until people can communicate with them. Before the power cut out, there were reports on social media of people struggling to call 911.
With the hurricane bringing torrential rain and flooding, the island will need our support. Here are some good places to start, according to Center for Puerto Rican Studies:
September 20 at 3:52 p.m.: This post has been updated to include places where you can donate money or supplies to.