Monday, February 12, 2018

Blackout hits Puerto Rico after explosion at main power substation near San Juan

A blackout has hit northern Puerto Rico after an explosion set off a big fire at a main power substation in the U.S. territory.

Officials with the island's Electric Power Authority said late Sunday that several municipalities are without power, including parts of the capital of San Juan. It was not immediately known what caused the fire.

San Juan Mayor Carmen Cruz tweeted that no injuries have been reported yet and that firefighters are on the scene.

The blackout comes as more than 400,000 power customers remain in the dark more than five months after Hurricane Maria.

Puerto Rico's governor recently announced that he plans to privatize the state-owned power company.

Blackout hits Puerto Rico after explosion at main power substation near San Juan
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Explosion cuts power in Puerto Rico

An explosion and fire at a power substation caused a blackout in parts of northern Puerto Rico on Sunday, according to authorities.
Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority (PREPA) said on Twitter that 400 megawatts of power generation had been lost.
The fire was caused by a mechanical failure and impacted sections of San Juan, Trujillo Alto, Guaynabo, Carolina, Caguas, and Juncos, PREPA spokesman Carlos Monroig told CNN.
    Monroig said the majority of customers would have power restored Sunday night, but that communities powered by substations Villa Betina and Quebrada Negrito would likely be without power until Monday afternoon.
    No injuries were reported, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz said.
    No injuries were reported, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz said.
    No injuries were reported, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz tweeted on her verified account.
    "It appears fire has almost totally been extinguished and the cooling phase is beginning," Yulin posted.
    She told CNN that light was already beginning to return to several areas, but that she didn't know the percentage of people with or without power in San Juan.
    It is also unclear how many people are with or without power across the affected areas of Puerto Rico.
    Some communities will be without power until Monday afternoon, a PREPA spokesman said.
    Some communities will be without power until Monday afternoon, a PREPA spokesman said.

    Hurricane Maria

    Puerto Rico's 3.4 million citizens have endured months of hardship since Hurricane Maria made landfall on September 20 with 155 mph winds.
    The Category 4 storm cut power to much of the island. In late January, PREPA issued a statement saying more than 450,000 customers remained without electricity.
    The authority said then that it was working with state and federal agencies, including the US Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, and power industry contractors, "to execute an aggressive plan to advance the restoration."
    PREPA came under fire late last year after entering into a controversial $300 million contract with Whitefish Energy, a small Montana-based firm that employed two people when the storm hit.
    CNN's Ray Sanchez contributed to this report.
    By Leyla Santiago and Susannah Cullinane
    Explosion cuts power in Puerto Rico
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    Friday, February 09, 2018

    What Puerto Rico Is, and Isn’t, Getting in Disaster Relief

    Puerto Rican officials have for months denounced the federal government’s response to Hurricane Maria, urging for more attention and action to help the island’s hard-pressed storm survivors. This week, island leaders declared a rare victory when Senate leaders folded disaster relief funding into a two-year budget deal to avert a government shutdown.
    Puerto Rico, along with the United States Virgin Islands, certainly has reason to cheer: The deal includes $4.8 billion to replenish dwindling Medicaid funds, $2 billion to restore the shredded power grid and $9 billion for housing and urban development projects.
    But the funding falls tens of billions of dollars short of what Puerto Rico says it needs to come back from the devastating storm. In November, Puerto Rico estimated it would need $94.4 billion to rebuild the island after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and make its infrastructure more resilient to future natural disasters.
    Puerto Rico wanted $17 billion for the power grid alone — $15 billion more than what the Senate set aside. By comparison, Florida’s citrus industry is receiving $2.3 billion to recover from Hurricane Irma.
    “All of this money, it’s a starting point to initiate recovery and reconstruction,” said Carlos Mercader, the executive director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration in Washington. “There’s still a lot of work to do with Congress and the administration.”
    In September, following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Congress approved $15 billion in relief aid. Lawmakers signed off on another $36.5 billion for storm and wildfires assistance in October, after weeks of criticism leveled against the Trump administration for its response to Maria in Puerto Rico.
    The $90 billion disaster relief package outlined on Wednesday also includes aid for communities affected by hurricanes or wildfires in California, Florida, Texas and the Virgin Islands.
    When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, Congress approved $10 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency four days later, and another $50 billion six days later. The federal government is still spending money on Katrina assistance, more than 12 years after the storm’s landfall.
    Before Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico’s worst natural disaster in nearly a century, the island was already grappling with insolvency. The government declared a form of bankruptcy last May, after years of borrowing money to pay for operating expenses after a painful recession that began in 2006.
    The relief package sets aside $4.8 billion for Medicaid in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, helping to avoid a looming shortfall that could have left some 600,000 Medicaid beneficiaries in Puerto Rico without health insurance by April.
    Puerto Rican leaders worried some of the people left uninsured would migrate to the mainland seeking coverage. Compared to the states, territories receive only a fraction of funding for entitlement programs. The Senate deal would waive the requirement for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to share in the cost of Medicaid for two years, placing the funding responsibility on the federal government instead.
    Louisiana received the same reprieve after Hurricane Katrina, but for only one year, said Representative Jenniffer González-Colón, Puerto Rico’s nonvoting delegate in Congress. Lawmakers approved relief packages for 10 years after that storm, she noted. Puerto Rico is not that far removed yet from Hurricane Maria.
    “Receiving these funds is important, and that will demonstrate that Puerto Rico will use them wisely and with transparency,” she said. “That’s an important issue here: We can be a model for how to invest in infrastructure on the island.”
    Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo A. Rosselló, said the $2 billion earmarked for power restoration in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands could help his island harden its battered grid. While funds from the previous aid packages went to FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers, the latest relief package will give money directly to the Puerto Rican government.
    Twenty-eight percent of Puerto Ricans — more than 400,000 utility customers — still do not have power more than four months after Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico.
    “With these resources, we can begin rebuilding our housing and energy future, putting Puerto Rico on a new path forward,” Mr. Rosselló said in a statement.
    Follow Patricia Mazzei on Twitter: @PatriciaMazzei.
    Agustin Armendariz contributed reporting.


    Damaged power lines in San Juan, P.R., in November. Senate leaders allocated $2 billion for power restoration on Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, as part of a larger disaster relief fund.Erika P. Rodriguez for The New York Times
    By PATRICIA MAZZEI
    What Puerto Rico Is, and Isn’t, Getting in Disaster Relief
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    Thursday, February 08, 2018

    Statehood for Puerto Rico means real representation

    The Feb. 6 online article “How Puerto Rico failed to influence its biggest advocates in Washington” is misleading.
    Throughout 2017, Gov. Rosselló and the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) frequently influenced major pieces of legislation despite structural impediments to the fair treatment of Puerto Rico. In May, PRFAA secured the inclusion of $296 million in the FY 2017 Omnibus spending package for the island’s Medicaid program. This funding helped stabilize the program in the short-term and provided certainty to more than 600,000 recipients.
    More recently, Gov. Rosselló and his team successfully influenced HR 601, resulting in $1.5 billion in disaster relief aid to the island. Finally, Gov. Rosselló and PRFAA were directly responsible for the inclusion of $6.2 billion in food aid and disaster funding for the island in HR 2266, which was signed into law on Oct. 26.
    Understanding that tax reform was a top priority of the Republican administration, PRFAA began the process of establishing its tax position. PRFAA’s unyielding principles centered upon any tax legislation, including the preservation of longstanding support for local rum producers; the deduction for local manufacturers; the child tax credit; and provisions that have supported Puerto Rico’s competitiveness in manufacturing against low-tax foreign venues.
    Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, yet cannot exercise the right to vote in presidential elections and lack voting representation in Congress. The Rosselló administration’s push for equality through statehood aims to give the island an active role in all legislation and finally grant Puerto Ricans full rights as citizens.
    We still need Congress to approve real disaster relief and fix problems that resulted from the recently enacted tax bill. but petty sniping by Beltway insiders won’t deliver the support so many Puerto Ricans desperately need.
    CARLOS MERCADER,
    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
    PUERTO RICO FEDERAL AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATION

    Statehood for Puerto Rico means real representation
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    Wednesday, February 07, 2018

    FEMA contractor did not deliver millions of Puerto Rico meals: lawmakers

    The U.S. agency responsible for disaster response hired a contractor that failed to deliver millions of emergency meals in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico last year, U.S. Democratic lawmakers said on Tuesday.
    Democrats on the House Oversight Committee cited records that showed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded a nearly $156 million contract to a one-person company that delivered just 50,000 of the expected 30 million meals.
    The lawmakers said documents showed the company, Atlanta-based Tribute Contracting, had a history of problems handling smaller government contracts worth less than $100,000 and had been barred from government work until 2019.
    Representatives for Tribute and its owner, Tiffany Brown, did not respond to requests for comment.
    Puerto Rico is struggling to recover from its worst natural disaster in 90 years and the largest government bankruptcy in U.S. history, with some $120 billion of combined bond and pension debt.
    Hurricane Maria killed dozens and left Puerto Rico's 3.4 million U.S. citizens without power when it struck on Sept. 20, along with reducing access to clean water and other essentials. FEMA last month said it would continue to provide water, meals and other basic needs after earlier reports that it was going to halt aid.
    The House committee's announcement follows an earlier controversy involving contractor Whitefish Energy Holdings, a small Montana firm hired to restore the island's power despite a lack of experience. Governor Ricardo Rossello later canceled that deal.
    • Slide 1 of 162: Local residents wait in line during a water distribution in Bayamon following damages caused by Hurricane Maria in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, October 1, 2017.
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    • Slide 2 of 162: Mercedes Perez is hugged by Brenda Francisco, RN, of the First Medical Relief team as they give her aide at the Pedro America Pagan de Colon assisted living facility in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on October 1, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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    • Slide 3 of 162: Local residents wait outside a Claro mobile phone company shop, trying to buy phones, days after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, September 30, 2017. Picture taken on September 30, 2017.
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    • Slide 4 of 162: The Moradas Las Teresas Elderly House, where about two hundred elderly people live without electricity following damages caused by Hurricane Maria, is seen in Carolina, Puerto Rico, September 30, 2017.
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    • Slide 5 of 162: Angel Rodriguez poses next to his belongings in front of his house, destroyed by Hurricane Maria, in the San Lorenzo neighborhood of Morovis, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017.
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    • Slide 6 of 162: An ambulance arrives at San Francisco hospital in Rio Piedras in the middle of an evacuation of about 35 patients after the failure of an electrical plant, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017.
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    • Slide 7 of 162: A man stands inside of a destroyed supermarket by Hurricane Maria in Salinas, Puerto Rico, September 29, 2017.
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    • Slide 8 of 162: A girl reads a book using a flashlight in darkness in her home after days without electricity following Hurricane Maria in Carolina, Puerto Rico, September 28, 2017. Picture taken on September 28, 2017.
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    • Slide 9 of 162: Sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) move pallets of supplies on the flight deck during a replenishment-at-sea with the fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) for relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico on September 28, 2017.
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    • Slide 10 of 162: At nightfall a man tries to clean the yard next to his house damaged by Hurricane Maria in Juana Matos, Catano, Puerto Rico, on September 26, 2017.
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    • Slide 11 of 162: Wilson Hernandez and his family rebuild their house destroyed by Hurricane Maria in the neigborhood of Acerolas in Toa Alto, Puerto Rico, on September 26, 2017.
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    • Slide 12 of 162: Destroyed homes are seen following passage of Hurricane Maria in the neigborhood of Acerolas in Toa Alto, Puerto Rico, on September 26, 2017.
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    • Slide 13 of 162: People wait in a line to buy gasoline after the passage of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 26, 2017.
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    • Slide 14 of 162: Nestor Serrano walks on the upstairs floor of his home, where the walls were blown off, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017.
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    • Slide 15 of 162: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 26: Rafael Robles-Ortiz kisses his mother Josefina Ortiz who is staying at the Hermanitas de los Ancianos Desamparados facility which cares for the elderly as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on September 26, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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    • Slide 16 of 162: A flooded street is seen as people deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on September 25, 2017 in San Juan Puerto Rico. Maria left widespread damage across Puerto Rico, with virtually the whole island without power or cell service.
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    • Slide 17 of 162: La Plata Lake Dam is seen as people deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on September 25, 2017 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Maria left widespread damage across Puerto Rico, with virtually the whole island without power or cell service.
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    • Slide 18 of 162: A combination of NOAA Satellite images taken at night shows Puerto Rico before and after Hurricane Maria - Puerto Rico on July 24, 2014 (top) and after Hurricane Maria knocked out power grid in Puerto Rico taken on September 24, 2017.
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    • Slide 19 of 162: Jose Garcia Vicente holds a piece of plumbing he picked up, as he shows his destroyed home, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. The U.S. ramped up its response Monday to the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico while the Trump administration sought to blunt criticism that its response to Hurricane Maria has fallen short of it efforts in Texas and Florida after the recent hurricanes there.
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    • Slide 20 of 162: Two people sit in an apartment with a wall missing along the waterfront in San Juan. Nearly one week after hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, residents are still trying to get the basics of food, water, gas, and money from banks. Much of the damage done was to electrical wires, fallen trees, and flattened vegetation, in addition to home wooden roofs torn off.
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    • Slide 21 of 162: Soldiers of Puerto Rico's national guard distribute relief items to people, after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico September 24, 2017.
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    • Slide 22 of 162: An aerial view of damages in Tortola Island after hurricanes Irma and Hurricane Maria in Tortola on Sept. 24 in the British Virgin Islands.
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    • Slide 23 of 162: Yahaira Arroyo, right, looks on as Lizzy Alicea, center, is kissed by her mother Maria Flores after traveling from San Juan to check on her because she couldn't get through on the telephone after Hurricane Maria passed through the area on Sept. 24 in Hayales de Coamo, Puerto Rico.
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    • Slide 24 of 162: Karlian Mercado, 7, rests on the rubble that remains of her family's home after it was blown away by Hurricane Maria as it passed through the area on Sept. 24 in Hayales de Coamo, Puerto Rico.
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    • Slide 25 of 162: Marry Ann Aldea loss everything at her house after the winds of hurricane Maria ripped away her roof. The mountain town of Juncos is one of the most affected after the pass of Hurricane María on Sept. 24.
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    • Slide 26 of 162: Residents line up gas cans as they wait for a gas truck to service an empty gas station, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on Sept. 24 in Loiza, Puerto Rico. Federal aid is racing to stem a growing humanitarian crisis in towns left without fresh water, fuel, electricity or phone service by the hurricane.
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    • Slide 27 of 162: Local residents wade through the flooded streets of Arenoso, northeastern Dominican Republic, on Sept. 24 after the passage of Hurricane Maria.
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    • Slide 28 of 162: Carmen Maldonado, Jose Flores and Carlos Flores (L-R) put a temporary roof the bathroom which is all that is left of their home after it was blown away by Hurricane Maria as it passed through the area on Sept. 24 in Hayales de Coamo, Puerto Rico.
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    • Slide 29 of 162: A member of the British Millitary removes a piece of furniture from the damaged home of Pearl Smith in East End, after Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria on Sept. 24 in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
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    • Slide 30 of 162: People stand among their home that was damaged when Hurricane Maria passed through the area on Sept. 24 in Progreso Barrio Pulguillas, Puerto Rico.
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    • Slide 31 of 162: A collapsed cell tower near the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island, Tortola on Sept. 24 after Hurrican Irma and Hurricane Maria.
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    • Slide 32 of 162: People affected by the passage of Hurricane Maria wait in line at Barrio Obrero to receive supplies from the national Guard, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017. Federal aid is racing to stem a growing humanitarian crisis in towns left without fresh water, fuel, electricity or phone service by the hurricane.
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    • Slide 33 of 162: A man rides his bicycle through a damaged road in Toa Alta, west of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 24, 2017 following the passage of Hurricane Maria. Authorities in Puerto Rico rushed on September 23, 2017 to evacuate people living downriver from a dam said to be in danger of collapsing because of flooding from Hurricane Maria.
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    • Slide 34 of 162: National Guardsmen arrive at Barrio Obrero in Santurce to distribute water and food among those affected by the passage of Hurricane Maria, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017. Federal aid is racing to stem a growing humanitarian crisis in towns left without fresh water, fuel, electricity or phone service by the hurricane.
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    • Slide 35 of 162: Family members collect belongings after hurricane force winds destroyed their house in Toa Baja, west of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 24, 2017 following the passage of Hurricane Maria.
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    • Slide 36 of 162: Trees are reflected in the water in the Buena Vista community in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017.
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    • Slide 37 of 162: People gather at a wifi hotspot in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria with many cellphone towers down in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017.
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    • Slide 38 of 162: Water drains from the Guajataca Dam in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017. Puerto Rican officials rushed to evacuate tens of thousands of people downstream of the failing dam and the massive scale of the disaster wrought by Hurricane Maria started to become clear.
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    • Slide 39 of 162: Local residents wade through the flooded streets of Arenoso, northeastern Dominican Republic, on September 24, 2017 after the passage of Hurricane Maria. The storm is blamed for 33 deaths, many of them on the tiny and poor island of Dominica and 13 in Puerto Rico
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    • Slide 40 of 162: Water drains from the Guajataca Dam in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017. Puerto Rican officials rushed to evacuate tens of thousands of people downstream of the failing dam and the massive scale of the disaster wrought by Hurricane Maria started to become clear. (AP Photo)
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    • Slide 41 of 162: People sit in the shade in Roseau on the Caribbean island of Dominica following passage of Hurricane Maria, September 23, 2017. Hurricane Maria left more than 15 people dead in hard-hit Dominica, the small Caribbean island's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced on September 21. The hurricane devastated the island, which has some 72,000 inhabitants and was hit by the storm on September 18 when it was at the height of its Category Five power. / AFP PHOTO / Cedrick Isham CALVADOS (Photo credit should read CEDRICK ISHAM CALVADOS/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 42 of 162: Homes lay scattered after the passing of Hurricane Maria in Roseau, the capital of the island of Dominica, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017. Lives have been lost around the Caribbean, including on hard-hit Dominica. (AP Photo/Carlisle Jno Baptiste)
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    • Slide 43 of 162: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 23: Jaime Degraff sits outside as he tries to stay cool as people wait for the damaged electrical grid to be fixed after Hurricane Maria passed through the area on September 23, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 44 of 162: A house submerged by flood waters is seen close to the dam of the Guajataca lake after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Guajataca, Puerto Rico September 23, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins - RC1E93FCC350
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    • Slide 45 of 162: A French Marine sorts through his belongings on September 22, 2017 in Roseau on the Caribbean island of Dominica, following passage of Hurricane Maria. Hurricane Maria left more than 15 people dead in hard-hit Dominica, the small Caribbean island's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced on September 21. The hurricane devastated the island, which has some 72,000 inhabitants and was hit by the storm on September 18 when it was at the height of its Category Five power. / AFP PHOTO / Cedrick Isham CALVADOS (Photo credit should read CEDRICK ISHAM CALVADOS/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 46 of 162: A man waits with hundreds of others since the early morning to buy gasoline three days after the impact of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017. A humanitarian crisis grew Saturday in Puerto Rico as towns were left without fresh water, fuel, power or phone service following Hurricane Maria’s devastating passage across the island. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)
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    • Slide 47 of 162: A man waits for transport amid destruction on a street September 23, 2017 in Roseau on the Caribbean island of Dominica following passage of Hurricane Maria. Hurricane Maria left more than 15 people dead in hard-hit Dominica, the small Caribbean island's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced on September 21. The hurricane devastated the island, which has some 72,000 inhabitants and was hit by the storm on September 18 when it was at the height of its Category Five power. / AFP PHOTO / Cedrick Isham CALVADOS (Photo credit should read CEDRICK ISHAM CALVADOS/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 48 of 162: A man looks at damages on his flooded house, close to the dam of the Guajataca lake after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Guajataca, Puerto Rico September 23, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins - RC1780FE7120
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    • Slide 49 of 162: People stop on a highway near a mobile phone antenna tower to check for mobile phone signal, after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria, in Dorado, Puerto Rico September 22, 2017. Picture taken September 22, 2017. REUTERS/Alvin Baez TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1D2051A440
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    • Slide 50 of 162: A picture taken on September 22, 2017 shows a cane field destroyed in the locality of Moravie, in Capesterre-Belle-Eau, after Hurrican Maria struck the island of Guadeloupe France will declare a natural disaster for Guadeloupe on September 22 after the island was hit by Hurricane Maria, a move that is a vital step for victims to secure compensation, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on September 20. Under French law, companies or individuals have 10 days in which to file a compensation claim with their insurers for loss in an event that has been officially declared a natural disaster. / AFP PHOTO / Helene Valenzuela (Photo credit should read HELENE VALENZUELA/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 51 of 162: A partially collapsed bridge is seen September 22, 2017 in Roseau, capital of the Caribbean island of Dominica, four days after the passage of Hurricane Maria. Maria previously tore through several Caribbean islands, claiming the highest toll on Dominica, which has a population of around 72,000 and has been largely cut off from the outside world. / AFP PHOTO / Lionel CHAMOISEAU (Photo credit should read LIONEL CHAMOISEAU/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 52 of 162: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO SEPTEMBER 22: Power authority workers fix power lines after Hurricane Maria at PR-177 in San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017. (Photo by Pablo Pantoja/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 53 of 162: Youths congregate September 22, 2017 in Canefield on the Caribbean island of Dominica, four days after the passage of Hurricane Maria. Maria previously tore through several Caribbean islands, claiming the highest toll on Dominica, which has a population of around 72,000 and has been largely cut off from the outside world. / AFP PHOTO / Lionel CHAMOISEAU (Photo credit should read LIONEL CHAMOISEAU/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 54 of 162: Residents from Toa Ville cook on the street after the passing of Hurricane Maria, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Friday, September 22, 2017. Because of the heavy rains brought by Maria, thousands of people were evacuated from Toa Baja after the municipal government opened the gates of the Rio La Plata Dam. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)
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    • Slide 55 of 162: A man feeds a goat September 22, 2017 in Canefield on the Caribbean island of Dominica, four days after the passage of Hurricane Maria. Maria previously tore through several Caribbean islands, claiming the highest toll on Dominica, which has a population of around 72,000 and has been largely cut off from the outside world. / AFP PHOTO / Lionel CHAMOISEAU (Photo credit should read LIONEL CHAMOISEAU/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 56 of 162: A man wades through a flooded road, past a boat, in the Toa Ville community two days after the impact of Hurricane Maria in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Because of flooding, thousands of people are being evacuated from Toa Baja after the municipal government opened the gates of the Rio La Plata Dam. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)
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    • Slide 57 of 162: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO SEPTEMBER 22: A century-old tree collapsed after Hurricane Maria at rio Piedras in San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017. (Photo by Pablo Pantoja/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 58 of 162: A street is covered with debris September 22, 2017 in Roseau, capital of the Caribbean island of Dominica, four days after the passage of Hurricane Maria. Maria previously tore through several Caribbean islands, claiming the highest toll on Dominica, which has a population of around 72,000 and has been largely cut off from the outside world. / AFP PHOTO / Lionel CHAMOISEAU (Photo credit should read LIONEL CHAMOISEAU/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 59 of 162: People stay at the roof of a damaged house after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico September 22, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC16D1CA6090
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    • Slide 60 of 162: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO SEPTEMBER 22: Hurricane Maria passed through Puerto Rico leaving behind a path of destruction across the national territory. (Photo by Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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    • Slide 61 of 162: A man carries containers filled with gasoline as people queue at a gas station after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Caguas, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 62 of 162: Yamary Morales looks at the damage at a neighbor's house after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 63 of 162: Hurricane Maria, which skirted past the Turks and Caicos Islands on Friday, is seen with Hurricane Jose (top) in the Atlantic Ocean in this NOAA's GOES East satellite image taken at 2015 p.m. EDT on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 64 of 162: A damaged house is seen after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 65 of 162: View of the flooded house of Maricel after the rains related to the passage of Hurricane Maria, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 66 of 162: A tree damages a fence at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus, after the passage of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 67 of 162: Broken palm trees are seen after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 68 of 162: Damaged traffic signs are seen after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 69 of 162: A road is seen destroyed on September 22, 2017 in Roseau, capital of the Caribbean island of Dominica, four days after the passage of Hurricane Maria.
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    • Slide 70 of 162: U.S. Coast Guard personnel offload relief supplies at the San Juan International Airport on September 22, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage and many on the island have lost power, running water, and cell phone service after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through.
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    • Slide 71 of 162: Mattresses are seen in a damaged house after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 72 of 162: Two men help a a disabled man carrying water from a river on September 22, 2017 in Roseau, capital of the Caribbean island of Dominica, four days after the passage of Hurricane Maria.
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    • Slide 73 of 162: People stay at the roof of a damaged house after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 74 of 162: People queue to buy gasoline after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Caguas, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 75 of 162: A car is embedded at the ferry terminal in Roseau, capital of the Caribbean island Dominica, on September 22, 2017, four days after the passage of Hurricane Maria.
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    • Slide 76 of 162: Damaged solar panels are seen after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Humacao, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 77 of 162: Damaged houses are seen after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 78 of 162: Locals stand along a street affected by the overflow of the Soco River in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in El Seibo, Dominican Republic, on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 79 of 162: People wait in line at a gas station after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Salinas, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017.
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    • Slide 80 of 162: Residents wade through flood waters at their home days after Hurricane Maria made landfall, on September 22, 2017 in Loiza, Puerto Rico.
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    • Slide 81 of 162: National Guard personnel offer evacuation to a Toa Ville resident after the passing of Hurricane Maria, in Puerto Rico, Friday, September 22, 2017. Because of the heavy rains brought by Maria, thousands of people were evacuated from Toa Baja after the municipal government opened the gates of the Rio La Plata Dam.
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    • Slide 82 of 162: People walk on a flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 22, 2017. Puerto Rico battled dangerous floods Friday after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island, as rescuers raced against time to reach residents trapped in their homes and the death toll climbed to 33. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello called Maria the most devastating storm in a century after it destroyed the US territory's electricity and telecommunications infrastructure.
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    • Slide 83 of 162: Personnel from a FEMA search and rescue crew walk in a flooded road, after the passing of Hurricane Maria, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Friday, September 22, 2017. Because of the heavy rains brought by Maria, thousands of people were evacuated from Toa Baja after the municipal government opened the gates of the Rio La Plata Dam.
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    • Slide 84 of 162: Residents drive through a flooded road after the passing of Hurricane Maria, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Friday, September 22, 2017. Because of the heavy rains brought by Maria, thousands of people were evacuated from Toa Baja after the municipal government opened the gates of the Rio La Plata Dam.
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    • Slide 85 of 162: An aerial view shows the flooded neighbourhood of Juana Matos in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Catano, Puerto Rico, on September 22, 2017. Puerto Rico battled dangerous floods Friday after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island, as rescuers raced against time to reach residents trapped in their homes and the death toll climbed to 33. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello called Maria the most devastating storm in a century after it destroyed the US territory's electricity and telecommunications infrastructure.
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    • Slide 86 of 162: A resident wades through a flooded road in the Toa Ville community two days after the impact of Hurricane Maria in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Because flooding, thousands of people are being evacuated from Toa Baja after the municipal government opened the gates of the Rio La Plata Dam.
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    • Slide 87 of 162: Residents manage provisions after the passing of Hurricane Maria, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Friday, September 22, 2017. Because of the heavy rains brought by Maria, thousands of people were evacuated from Toa Baja after the municipal government opened the gates of the Rio La Plata Dam.
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    • Slide 88 of 162: Gloria Lynn cries next to a salon that was flooded after the rains related to the passage of Hurricane Maria, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, on September 22, 2017. Puerto Rico battled dangerous floods Friday after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island, as rescuers raced against time to reach residents trapped in their homes and the death toll climbed to 33. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello called Maria the most devastating storm in a century after it destroyed the US territory's electricity and telecommunications infrastructure.
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    • Slide 89 of 162: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO SEPTEMBER 21: Trees block the street after Hurricane Maria at Lagos de Plata in Levittown, Puerto Rico on September 21, 2017. (Photo by Pablo Pantoja/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 90 of 162: A flooded street is seen in the Juana Matos neighbourhood in Catano municipality after Hurricane Maria, southwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico September 21, 2017. Picture taken September 21, 2017. REUTERS/Dave Graham - RC1ACE2DE0F0
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    • Slide 91 of 162: A car drives though Roseau on September 22, 2017 on the Caribbean island of Dominica following the passage of Hurricane Maria. Hurricane Maria left more than 15 people dead in hard-hit Dominica, the small Caribbean island's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced on September 21. The hurricane devastated the island, which has some 72,000 inhabitants and was hit by the storm on September 18 when it was at the height of its Category Five power. / AFP PHOTO / Cedrick Isham CALVADOS (Photo credit should read CEDRICK ISHAM CALVADOS/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 92 of 162: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO SEPTEMBER 21: Motorists evade a power line post after Hurricane Maria near Santa Elena in Bayamón, Puerto Rico on September 21, 2017. (Photo by Pablo Pantoja/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 93 of 162: People clear water from a house in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in El Seibo, Dominican Republic, September 21, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas - RC14B3BED2A0
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    • Slide 94 of 162: TOPSHOT - An aerial view of Roseau, capital of the Caribbean island Dominica, shows destruction September 21, 2017, three days after passage of Hurricane Maria. Dominica, located near the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, has been almost completely cut off from the world since the imapact of the hurricane. / AFP PHOTO / Lionel CHAMOISEAU (Photo credit should read LIONEL CHAMOISEAU/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 95 of 162: TOPSHOT - A man walks on a highway divider while carrying his bicycle in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, September 21, 2017. Puerto Rico braced for potentially calamitous flash flooding after being pummeled by Hurricane Maria which devastated the island and knocked out the entire electricity grid. The hurricane, which Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello called "the most devastating storm in a century," had battered the island of 3.4 million people after roaring ashore early Wednesday with deadly winds and heavy rain. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGO (Photo credit should read RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 96 of 162: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 21: The day after Hurricane Maria made a direct hit on Puerto Rico, residents of Isla Palmeras (translated as Palmeras Island) a neighborhood in San Juan, are surrounded by water. (Photo by Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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    • Slide 97 of 162: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 21: Ivan Lopez, age 51, helps his neighbor with the damage to his neighbors homes. His home was not as badly damaged so he plans to stay despite the lack of water and electricity. "I was born here; I'll die here," said Lopez. The day after Hurricane Maria made a direct hit on Puerto Rico, with winds up to 150mph, residents of La Perla, close to Old San Juan, begin to clean up. (Photo by Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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    • Slide 98 of 162: TOPSHOT - Inhabitants stand in flood water in front of a house flooded in Juana Matos, Catano, Puerto Rico, on September 21, 2017. Puerto Rico braced for potentially calamitous flash flooding after being pummeled by Hurricane Maria which devastated the island and knocked out the entire electricity grid. The hurricane, which Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello called "the most devastating storm in a century," had battered the island of 3.4 million people after roaring ashore early Wednesday with deadly winds and heavy rain. / AFP PHOTO / HECTOR RETAMAL (Photo credit should read HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 99 of 162: A man tries to rescue a sunken wooden boat in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Thursday, September 21, 2017. Puerto Rico braced for potentially calamitous flash flooding after being pummeled by Hurricane Maria which devastated the island and knocked out the entire electricity grid. The hurricane, which Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello called "the most devastating storm in a century," had battered the island of 3.4 million people after roaring ashore early Wednesday with deadly winds and heavy rain. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGO (Photo credit should read RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 100 of 162: People walk in a flooded street next to damaged houses in Juana Matos, Catano, Puerto Rico, on September 21, 2017, after Hurricane Maria slammed into the region leaving a deadly trail of destruction. Puerto Rico was facing dangerous flooding and an island-wide power outage on Thursday following Hurricane Maria as the death toll from the powerful storm topped 15 in the tiny Caribbean island of Dominica. / AFP PHOTO / HECTOR RETAMAL (Photo credit should read HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 101 of 162: Cars drive through a flooded road in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, September 21, 2017. Puerto Rico braced for potentially calamitous flash flooding after being pummeled by Hurricane Maria which devastated the island and knocked out the entire electricity grid. The hurricane, which Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello called "the most devastating storm in a century," had battered the island of 3.4 million people after roaring ashore early Wednesday with deadly winds and heavy rain. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGO (Photo credit should read RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 102 of 162: A dog looks out of a house flooded by Hurricane Maria, in Catano town, Juana Matos, Puerto Rico, on September 21, 2017. Puerto Rico braced for potentially calamitous flash flooding after being pummeled by Hurricane Maria which devastated the island and knocked out the entire electricity grid. The hurricane, which Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello called "the most devastating storm in a century," had battered the island of 3.4 million people after roaring ashore early Wednesday with deadly winds and heavy rain. / AFP PHOTO / HECTOR RETAMAL (Photo credit should read HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 103 of 162: A man walks in a flooded street pulling a boat in Catano town, in Juana Matos, Puerto Rico, on September 21, 2017. Puerto Rico braced for potentially calamitous flash flooding after being pummeled by Hurricane Maria which devastated the island and knocked out the entire electricity grid. The hurricane, which Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello called "the most devastating storm in a century," had battered the island of 3.4 million people after roaring ashore early Wednesday with deadly winds and heavy rain. / AFP PHOTO / HECTOR RETAMAL (Photo credit should read HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 104 of 162: A man stands outside a destroyed home in this aerial photo from a Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey surveying the aftermath from Hurricane Maria in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands September 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake - RC1BCD434FE0
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    • Slide 105 of 162: People walk among debris on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, September 21, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas - RC17B0251F80
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    • Slide 106 of 162: A damaged house is pictured after Hurricane Maria hit San Juan, Puerto Rico, September 20, 2017 in this image taken from a social media. Sebastian Perez via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT.NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES - RC19D9C72580
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    • Slide 107 of 162: Damaged electrical installations are seen after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria en Guayama, Puerto Rico September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins - RC11AA9A9470
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    • Slide 108 of 162: A gift shop damaged in the crossing of Hurricane Maria is shown on Cofrecito Beach, Bavaro, Dominican Republic, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017. Rain from the storm will continue in the Dominican Republic for the next two days according to meteorologists. (AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez)
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    • Slide 109 of 162: Residents of San Juan, Puerto Rico, deal with damages to their homes on September 20, 2017, as Hurricane Maria batters the island. Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on Wednesday, cutting power on most of the US territory as terrified residents hunkered down in the face of the island's worst storm in living memory. After leaving a deadly trail of destruction on a string of smaller Caribbean islands, Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico's southeast coast around daybreak, packing winds of around 150mph (240kph). / AFP PHOTO / Hector RETAMAL (Photo credit should read HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 110 of 162: A man contemplates his house damaged by Hurricane Maria, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 21, 2017.
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    • Slide 111 of 162: Flooded streets are seen in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 21, 2017 after the passage of Hurricane Maria.
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    • Slide 112 of 162: A family helps clean the road after Hurricane Maria hit the eastern region of the island, in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, September 20, 2017. The strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in more than 80 years destroyed hundreds of homes, knocked out power across the entire island and turned some streets into raging rivers in an onslaught that could plunge the U.S. territory deeper into financial crisis. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)
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    • Slide 113 of 162: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO SEPTEMBER 20: Plaza Colon is covered in fallen trees after Hurricane Maria at Old San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. (Photo by Pablo Pantoja/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 114 of 162: Debris and damaged electrical installations are seen after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria en Guayama, Puerto Rico September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins - RC1CA5D4E4E0
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    • Slide 115 of 162: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO SEPTEMBER 20: Hurricane Maria passed through Puerto Rico leaving behind a path of destruction across the national territory. San Juan September 20, 2017. (Photo by Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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    • Slide 116 of 162: A woman reacts while looking at the damage to her house after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Guayama, Puerto Rico September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins - RC192AC821A0
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    • Slide 117 of 162: A damaged pier is seen after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Puerto de Jobos, Puerto Rico September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins - RC1E689CB480
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    • Slide 118 of 162: Agapito Lopez looks at the damage in his house after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Guayama, Puerto Rico September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
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    • Slide 119 of 162: Residents of San Juan, Puerto Rico, deal with damages to their homes on September 20, 2017, as Hurricane Maria batters the island. Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on Wednesday, cutting power on most of the US territory as terrified residents hunkered down in the face of the island's worst storm in living memory. After leaving a deadly trail of destruction on a string of smaller Caribbean islands, Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico's southeast coast around daybreak, packing winds of around 150mph (240kph). / AFP PHOTO / Hector RETAMAL (Photo credit should read HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 120 of 162: View of damage caused the day before by Hurricane Maria in Roseau, Dominica, on September 20, 2017. Hurricane Maria smashed into the eastern Caribbean island of Dominica on Tuesday, with its prime minister describing devastating damage as winds and rain from the storm also hit territories still reeling from Irma. / AFP PHOTO / STR (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 121 of 162: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO SEPTEMBER 20: Hurricane Maria passed through Puerto Rico leaving behind a path of destruction across the national territory. San Juan September 20, 2017. (Photo by Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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    • Slide 122 of 162: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO SEPTEMBER 20: A man loads truck with debris after Hurricane Maria at Muñoz Rivera Street in San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. (Photo by Pablo Pantoja/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 123 of 162: A woman covers herself with a plastic bag as she makes her way to work as Hurricane Maria approaches the coast of Bavaro, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017.
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    • Slide 124 of 162: Men wade through a flooded Alemania Avenue as Hurricane Maria reaches the coast of Bavaro, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017.
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    • Slide 125 of 162: Hurricane Maria is pictured over Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea in this September 20, 2017 NASA satellite handout photo.
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    • Slide 126 of 162: Men walk damaged trees after the passage of Hurricane Maria, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 20, 2017. Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on, cutting power on most of the US territory as terrified residents hunkered down in the face of the island's worst storm in living memory. After leaving a deadly trail of destruction on a string of smaller Caribbean islands, Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico's southeast coast around daybreak, packing winds of around 150mph (240kph).
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    • Slide 127 of 162: Destroyed trees and houses are seen after the passage of hurricane Irma and Maria in Orient Bay, St. Martin, on September 20, 2017. After killing at least nine people in the Caribbean, Maria slammed into Puerto Rico's southeast coast at daybreak before churning across the US territory which is home to 3.4 million
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    • Slide 128 of 162: Residents clear fallen debris after the passage of Hurricane Maria, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 20, 2017.
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    • Slide 129 of 162: Lightposts lay on the ground after being damaged in the passage of Hurricane Maria, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 20, 2017. Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on, cutting power on most of the US territory as terrified residents hunkered down in the face of the island's worst storm in living memory. After leaving a deadly trail of destruction on a string of smaller Caribbean islands, Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico's southeast coast around daybreak, packing winds of around 150mph (240kph).
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    • Slide 130 of 162: Isidro clears his yard of debris left by the passage of Hurricane Maria, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 20, 2017.
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    • Slide 131 of 162: A parking lot is flooded near Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 20, 2017, during Hurricane Maria. Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on Wednesday, cutting power on most of the US territory as terrified residents hunkered down in the face of the island's worst storm in living memory. After leaving a deadly trail of destruction on a string of smaller Caribbean islands, Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico's southeast coast around daybreak, packing winds of around 150mph (240kph). / AFP PHOTO / HECTOR RETAMAL (Photo credit should read HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 132 of 162: Destruction caused by Hurricane Maria close to Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 20, 2017. Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on Wednesday, cutting power on most of the US territory as terrified residents hunkered down in the face of the island's worst storm in living memory. After leaving a deadly trail of destruction on a string of smaller Caribbean islands, Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico's southeast coast around daybreak, packing winds of around 150mph (240kph). / AFP PHOTO / Jose ROMERO AND HECTOR RETAMAL (Photo credit should read JOSE ROMERO,HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 133 of 162: Damaged homes from Hurricane Maria are shown in this aerial photo over the island of Dominica, September 19, 2017. Photo taken September 19, 2017. Courtesy Nigel R. Browne/Caribbean Emergency Management Agency/Regional Security System/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC196843B6E0
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    • Slide 134 of 162: A road is empty in Sainte-Anne on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, early Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017, after the passing of Hurricane Maria. (AP Photo/Dominique Chomereau-Lamotte)
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    • Slide 135 of 162: A flooded road is seen after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico September 20, 2017, in this still image taken from social media. INSTAGRAM/highasyourdreams/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. - RC1EB43B53E0
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    • Slide 136 of 162: Hurricane Maria hits Puerto Rico in Fajardo on September 20, 2017. Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico on Wednesday, pummeling the US territory after already killing at least two people on its passage through the Caribbean. The US National Hurricane Center warned of "large and destructive waves" as Maria came ashore near Yabucoa on the southeast coast. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGO (Photo credit should read RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 137 of 162: Rain and wind hit a parking lot at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 20, 2017, during the passage of the Hurricane Maria. Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico on Wednesday, pummeling the US territory after already killing at least two people on its passage through the Caribbean. The US National Hurricane Center warned of "large and destructive waves" as Maria came ashore near Yabucoa on the southeast coast. / AFP PHOTO / HECTOR RETAMAL (Photo credit should read HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 138 of 162: Rescue workers help people after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Guayama, Puerto Rico September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins - RC122FCD02F0
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    • Slide 139 of 162: Trees are toppled in a parking lot at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 20, 2017, during the passage of the Hurricane Maria. Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico on Wednesday, pummeling the US territory after already killing at least two people on its passage through the Caribbean. The US National Hurricane Center warned of "large and destructive waves" as Maria came ashore near Yabucoa on the southeast coast. / AFP PHOTO / HECTOR RETAMAL (Photo credit should read HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 140 of 162: General view of El Condado area, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 19, 2017, prior to the arrival of Hurricane Maria. Maria is headed towards the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico after battering the eastern Caribbean island of Dominica, with the US National Hurricane Center warning of a "potentially catastrophic" impact. / AFP PHOTO / HECTOR RETAMAL (Photo credit should read HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 141 of 162: TOPSHOT - Winds lash the coastal city of Fajardo as Hurricane Maria approaches Puerto Rico, on September 19, 2017. Maria headed towards the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico after battering the eastern Caribbean island of Dominica, with the US National Hurricane Center warning of a "potentially catastrophic" impact. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGO (Photo credit should read RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images)
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    • Slide 142 of 162: A man watches his cell phone while waiting at Humacao Arena refugee center for the imminent impact of Maria, a Category 5 hurricane that threatens to hit the eastern region of the island with sustained winds of 175 miles per hour, in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, September 19, 2017. About 137 citizens arrived at the refuge from different parts of the eastern region of the Island. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)
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    • Slide 143 of 162: A picture shows rocks swept by strong waves onto a road in Le Carbet, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, after it was hit by Hurricane Maria, on September 19, 2017. Hurricane Maria headed towards the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on September 19, with the US National Hurricane Center warning of a "potentially catastrophic" impact as it battered the eastern Caribbean. Arriving just as islanders in the region are struggling to recover from devastating Hurricane Irma which struck earlier this month, Maria claimed its first victim in the French territory of Guadeloupe, where two other people were missing.
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    • Slide 144 of 162: Men clear fallen tree branches in a small road of the village of Viard - Petit Bourg, near Pointe-a-Pitre, on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe after the passage of Hurricane Maria.
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    • Slide 145 of 162: Flooded cars are pictured in the Lauricisque district of Pointe-a-Pitre on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe, after the passage of Hurricane Maria.
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    • Slide 146 of 162: People clear debris in Saint-Pierre, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, after it was hit by Hurricane Maria, on September 19, 2017.
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    • Slide 147 of 162: The wreckage of a pergola is pictured in the village of Goyave on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe after the passage of Hurricane Maria.
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    • Slide 148 of 162: A resident stands at her doorstep as she looks at strong waves in Saint-Pierre, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, after it was hit by Hurricane Maria, on September 19, 2017.
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    • Slide 149 of 162: An uprooted tree is pictured on Boulevard Chanzy in downtown Pointe-a-Pitre on September 19, 2017 in the French territory of Guadeloupe after the passage of Hurricane Maria.
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    • Slide 150 of 162: A motorist drives on the flooded waterfront in Fort-de-France, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, after it was hit by Hurricane Maria, on September 19, 2017.
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    • Slide 151 of 162: Members of the Venezuelan Civil Protection load supplies with humanitarian aid for the island of Dominica after the Caribbean island was battered by Hurricane Maria, at the international airport of Caracas, on September 19, 2017.
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    • Slide 152 of 162: Rain brought by approaching Hurricane Maria falls in Saint Jean Bay, St. Barthelemy, part of the French Antilles, on Sept. 19, 2017.
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    • Slide 153 of 162: A man takes a video in a flooded seafront after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe island, France, on September 19, 2017.
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    • Slide 154 of 162: A car approaches to a flooded seafront after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe island, France, on September 19, 2017.
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    • Slide 155 of 162: A boat lays on its side off the shore of Sainte-Anne on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, on Sept. 19, 2017, after the passing of Hurricane Maria.
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    • Slide 156 of 162: A picture taken on September 19, 2017 shows the powerful winds and rains of hurricane Maria battering the city of Petit-Bourg on the French overseas Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.
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    • Slide 157 of 162: This Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, GOES East satellite image provided by NASA taken at 20:30 UTC, shows the eye of Hurricane Maria as it nears Dominica. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Monday evening that Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter planes found that Maria had strengthened into a storm with 160 mph (260 kph) winds.
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    • Slide 158 of 162: Boats remain anchored in a wharf as Hurricane Maria approaches in Guadeloupe island, France, September 18, 2017.
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    • Slide 159 of 162: People board up windows of a business in preparation for the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 18, 2017.
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    • Slide 160 of 162: Men board up buildings ahead of Hurricane Maria in Sainte-Anne on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, Monday, Sept. 18, 2017.
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    • Slide 161 of 162: A woman crosses a street as Hurricane Maria approaches in Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe island, France, September 18, 2017.
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    • Slide 162 of 162: Men remove boats from the water ahead of Hurricane Maria in the Galbas area of Sainte-Anne on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, early Monday, Sept. 18, 2017.
    Slide 1 of 162: Local residents wait in line during a water distribution in Bayamon following damages caused by Hurricane Maria in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, October 1, 2017.
    1/162 SLIDES © Carlos Barria/Reuters
    Local residents wait in line during a water distribution in Bayamon following damages caused by Hurricane Maria in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, October 1, 2017.
    After winning the October 2017 FEMA contract, Tribute delivered just 50,000 meals to the U.S. territory and was terminated for cause 20 days later, said Representative Elijah Cummings, the committee's top Democrat.
    "It is unclear why FEMA or any agency would have proceeded with a contract worth $156 million in light of this company's poor contracting history and these explicit warnings," he wrote, citing documents obtained by panel Democrats.
    Cummings and fellow Democrat Stacey Plaskett called on the panel's Republican chairman, Trey Gowdy, to subpoena FEMA for documents on the company and its alleged failure to deliver millions of meals.
    Gowdy's spokeswoman Amanda Gonzalez said that sending a subpoena was premature but that the panel would continue to review hurricane recovery efforts.
    FEMA said it could not comment on Tribute, but that at the time the contract was terminated food distribution in Puerto Rico "was not affected."
    Agency spokeswoman Jenny Burke said meals continue to be provided on the island and that "there are sufficient commodities both in Puerto Rico and on the mainland to continue to meet identified needs for current or future disasters."
    A website for Brown shows her other companies include beauty, fashion, interior design and health and wellness businesses.
    (Writing by Susan Heavey, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)

    FEMA contractor did not deliver millions of Puerto Rico meals: lawmakers
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