Hurricane Fiona's unrelenting rains led to swollen rivers and washed out roads and bridges in many areas of Puerto Rico. It's isolated many mountain communities and slowed the recovery.
In the town of Orocovis, a mudslide blocked a major roadway, making it difficult for residents to get. A local construction company quickly got to work, removing tons of soil, vegetation and boulders that were blocking the road.
By Thursday, a single lane had been cleared allowing some trucks containing food, water and fuel to reach the city. People in Orocovis line up to get food and other supplies being handed out by member of the National Guard and the Department of Family of Puerto Rico. Other roads in the area collapsed when the ground under them washed away. In Cacao, a small community of scattered homes in the mountains, hundreds of people were stranded when the road connecting them with Orocovis collapsed. Local authorities surveyed the damage, declared it unsafe and closed the road. But residents soon convinced them to open a temporary road so they could at least get into Orocovis. Residents of Orocovis line up at the community sports coliseum. People like Jesus"Tito" Colón are using any kind of container — gallon jugs, cisterns — to fill with potable water. Herbert Acosta, a civil engineer was part of crew working Thursday to stabilize the road."Right now, we are putting barriers on both sides to make it safe," he said. But he has concerns that more rain could bring additional flooding and lead to a total road collapse."We are going to monitor it every day," he said,"to see how it is." Making the isolation worse, Orocovis is one of many communities in Puerto Rico still waiting for power and water to be restored. At the community's small sports stadium, people have been lining up to fill jugs, barrels and cisterns with clean water pumped from tank trucks. Residents says it's a familiar routine. After Hurricane Maria in 2017, some were without water service for six months. The Department of Family of Puerto Rico and the National Guard distribute food at an intersection of the community of Orocovis. Puerto Rico's National Guard has been to isolated communities, distributing food and other supplies to residents having trouble getting into town. Corporal Alexis Cruz said,"We're just trying to spread a little bit of happiness among all this mess." Puerto Rico's water authority says service has been restored to more than two-thirds of its customers. The island's power company says about 40% of its customers now have electricity. But in Orocovis, residents are skeptical about reassurances from the governor and other leaders that power and water service will be restored soon. As he waited for water at the sports stadium, Marcelino Cassiano repeated an oft-heard refrain,"I'll believe it when I see it." Four days after Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico, it's still slow going through many parts of the island. First responders drive carefully through state route 155 that runs from Coamo to Vega Baja through Orocovis and Morovis that is currently being cleared after landslides blocked access.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico, here's how you can helpHere is a growing list of organizations who are asking for help for emergency essentials and monetary contributions for Puerto Ricans.
Read more »
Mobile student from Puerto Rico reacts to Hurricane FionaIt’s been three days since Hurricane Fiona ravaged Puerto Rico... leaving most people on the island without power or water.
Read more »
Volunteers help Puerto Rico as Hurricane Fiona leaves people without water, food or powerHurricane Fiona’s destructive path has curved eastward as it heads toward Bermuda and poses life-threatening surf and rip current conditions for the U.S. East Coast and Atlantic Canada. But it has already left behind devastation in Puerto Rico, where much of the island is still without power or access to clean water.
Read more »
Puerto Rico's power grid is struggling 5 years after Hurricane Maria. Here's why.Over a million customers in Puerto Rico have experienced intermittent power outages since Hurricane Maria, with many losing electricity this time even before Fiona made landfall.
Read more »
Hurricane Fiona relief underway as NYC team deploys to Puerto Rico; Biden promises to cover cleanupNYC deployed a team of approximately 12 members to Puerto Rico Thursday to aid in relief efforts following Hurricane Fiona as President Biden promised to cover 100% of the cleanup for the next month.
Read more »
Biden says US ready to help Puerto Rico in Hurricane Fiona recoveryBiden noted that hundreds of FEMA and other federal officials are already on the ground in Puerto Rico, where Hurricane Fiona caused an island-wide blackout.
Read more »