On September 16, Hurricane Maria swept across Puerto Rico with sustained winds of 64 mph and gusts that reached 118 mph.
Heavy rainfall occurred throughout the territory as the strongest storm to hit the island since 1928 roared across the island.
The lack of communication in Puerto Rico has caused a lot of stress for Puerto Ricans in the mainland trying to connect with loved ones there.
- MARIA: How to help Puerto Rico
- Hotline for help checking on family, friends: 202-778-0710
- You can also email MariaEmergencyUSC@state.gov — provide as much info as possible
Spectrum Bay News 9 anchor Veronica Cintron’s family lives in Puerto Rico and she went to check on them this weekend. She was accompanied by Spectrum News 13 Photojournalist Tony Rojek.
Here’s an exclusive look at her emotional journey in pictures:
Veronica Cintron looks over the San Juan landscape during her landing approach.
People in the San Juan airport use fans for some type of breeze and power and air conditioning has not been restored to parts of the island.
This far past the hurricane in Florida, you didn’t see downed power lines on major roads anymore. You still do in Puerto Rico.
Damage and debris remain littered throughout the territory.
The hurricane completely destroyed the island's power grid, leaving all 3.4 million residents without electricity. Service is slowly - very slowly - being restored.