Last week, Hurricane Maria made landfall in
Puerto Rico with winds of 155 miles an hour, leaving the United States
commonwealth on the brink of a humanitarian crisis. The storm left 80
percent of crop value destroyed, 60 percent of the island without water
and almost the entire island without power, as seen in the nighttime
satellite images below.
July 24
Sept. 25, 5 days after landfall
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Note: Some areas of western central Puerto Rico were partially obscured
by clouds on Sept. 25.
Cataño
Juana Matos, a neighborhood in Cataño, near the
capital city of San Juan, suffered severe flooding as a storm surge from
nearby San Juan Bay dumped water into coastal communities. Eighty
percent of the homes in the Juana Matos neighborhood were destroyed,
said Cataño’s mayor, José Rosario.
Before
After
From left, DigitalGlobe via Google Earth; Ricardo Arduengo/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Toa Alta
Though Hurricane Maria had dropped from a
Category 5 to a Category 4 storm by the time it reached Puerto Rico, it
was more than powerful enough to rip apart roads and strip trees as it
cut a path across the island.
Ricardo Arduengo/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Isabela
Guajataca
Dam
The Guajataca dam in northwestern Puerto Rico
sustained structural damage, resulting in flash flood warnings for the
nearby municipalities of Isabela and Quebradillas. The governor said
that nearly 70,000 people could be affected if the dam were to collapse.
Before
After
From left, DigitalGlobe via Google Earth; Alvin Baez/Reuters
The mountain municipality of Barranquitas in the
central region of Puerto Rico has been rendered nearly inaccessible
after landslides effectively sealed the area off from conventional means
of travel. Across the island, roads were left strewn with debris.
Ricardo Arduengo/Agence France-Presse
Toa Baja
More than 2,000 people were rescued from Toa Baja, one of the hardest hit towns,
as the storm surge swept residents away and neighborhoods went
underwater. The town’s mayor, Bernardo Márquez, said at least eight
people drowned because of the flooding.
Before
After
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