The aftermath of a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that killed one person, injured nine others and severely damaged infrastructure in Puerto Rico's southwest coast is deepening as the island's government says it is overwhelmed.
Many in the affected area are comparing the situation to Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm that hit in September 2017, as hundreds of families who are unable to return to their damaged homes wonder where they'll stay in upcoming weeks and months as hope fades of electricity being restored soon.
"FEMA is a very bureaucratic agency and it moves very slowly. So slowly that we're still waiting for federal funds from Maria," Daniel Hernandez, director of generation for Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority, told The Associated Press. Power company director Jose Ortiz said he expects nearly all customers to have electricity by early next week, adding that extremely preliminary assessments show that at least $50 million in damage occurred.
Fernando Gil, secretary of Puerto Rico's Housing Department, urged people to stay with family or in shelters if they felt unsafe in their homes as the government relocated more than two dozen people from damaged residences. Education officials said 24 schools were affected by the quake but that teams of engineers were inspecting all of the island's schools. They said it's too early to say when classes might start.
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