I am a little confused.
Puerto Rico, a US territory with US (non voting) citizens, has a population of well over 3 million people.
If the "news" is correct, it appears that there is no power system on the Island, and the water system is compromised. Again... depending on whether the information is correct, it appears that both systems may take weeks, if not months to correct.
Other sources indicate that the isalnd food supply, if not entirely wiped out, will also take months if not years to recover.
Already, an almost insolvent government, seems overwhelmed in recovery efforts.
Trying to catch up on what's happening, today's news, among other things, indicate so many sidelights that the scope of the disaster seems (to me) to being lessened.. Not that saving 180 homeless dogs, or emergency supplies of 1.6 million gallons of water and 23,000 sleeping bags is not important, but... with grocery store closed, and no replenishment of the necessities of life in the offing, the outlook seems sad.
One "worst case" scenario has millions starving, beset by disease and possible outbreaks of terrible epidemics. At present, any attempts to help are being frustrated by the lack of communications.
There are at this point US government rules about what foodstuffs can be imported, and from whom. Hopefully these rules will be lessened. (Jones Act).
Obviously this will soon regain more attention, and hopefully massive aid attempts will save lives. Hard to deal with so many catastrophes at one time... Texas, Florida, Mexico. Many millions of people have already had their lives changed forever, still, the total number of deaths are counted in the thousands... Without a huge recovery effort, I wonder if the Puerto Rico fatalities might reach the many thousands, hundreds of thousands, or maybe millions of people who will be affected forever.
I only hope that our nation can come together to avert this crisis.
