Hurricane Maria Devastates Puerto Rico Days After Irma

Jia Williams, Feature Editor

Hurricane Maria is the first category four hurricane to directly hit the coast of Puerto Rico since 1932. It hit earlier this week and caused an immeasurable amount of damage just days after hurricane Irma. Puerto Rico has been left in a disarray and the extent of damage caused has yet to be measured, but it is clear that rebuilding will be a long and hard process. On Wednesday the hurricane knocked out all of Puerto Rico’s electrical grid and cellphone towers. In Puerto Rico the power grid was already a fragile system, so getting it back up will be a major challenge for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Hurricane Maria also left many towns cut off from help with landslides and murky waters. On the bright side, there were already first responders, National Guardsmen, and other federal government staff  on the scene prior to Maria thanks to hurricane Irma. Although they had to wait out the storm and could not help until Wednesday evening, these officials helped to get a hold on the safety of the people. Currently, residents all over the island are waiting for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA, to help fix their homes and rebuild their lives. Some people chose to wait out the hurricane with friends, families, and neighbors in emergency shelters nearby their homes while others stayed in their houses and hoped for the best.There were even reportedly a few dogs in the shelters because many considered them a part of their family. Aside from Puerto Rico, hurricane Maria took a toll on many other Caribbean islands including Guadalupe, St. Croix, and the island of Dominica. On Guadalupe, there have been two reported deaths and seven on Dominica.