Mexico City…
Mother Nature unleashed a double dose of her wrath on Wednesday, wreaking havoc in Mexico City and on the island of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
SAN JUAN
Hurricane Maria increased in strength from a Category 3 on Monday to a Category 5 on Wednesday, delivering a direct hit to the US territory of Puerto Rico for the first time in more than 30 years. Maria’s destruction was so fierce, it knocked out the energy grid for the Caribbean island, leaving 100% of residents without power. For an island that has already experienced a long recession and is deeply in debt, a disastrous hurricane is the last thing they needed now.
According to Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, the full impact of the storm and how much loss of life it may have caused is currently unknown. Communication across the island is currently non-existent and most details won’t be realized until officials can do a flyover and see what remains. However, tourism (which is the island’s main source of income) in the Condado section of San Juan will almost assuredly be affected.
“We still don’t have a lot of information,” Rossello said. “We’re virtually disconnected in terms of communications with the southeast part of the island.”
When asked how long before power could be restored to island residents, Rossello’s outlook was bleak.
“We’re looking at months as opposed to weeks or days,” he said.
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MEXICO CITY
At least 200 people are dead and dozens injured after a 7.1 earthquake struck Mexico City early Wednesday.
Rescuers searched for survivors throughout the night, where scores were trapped under collapsed buildings and other rubble.
According to President Enrique Peña Nieto, 22 bodies were found in the debris of an elementary school in Mexico City. At least 30 children are still missing.
“We are facing a new national emergency,” Peña Nieto told citizens during his address following the earthquake.
The epicenter of the earthquake was 2.8 miles east-northeast of San Juan Raboso and 34.1 miles south-southwest of the city of Puebla, in Puebla state. The quake came only a week after a magnitude-8.1 earthquake struck off the southern coast of the country, killing at least 90.
#PrayForMexicoCity
#PrayForPuertoRico
This has been a real bad year for disasters. I am definitely praying for everybody in Puerto Rico and Mexico. It’s going to be a long time before they get back to normal, both of them.