Puerto Rico- “rich port” - this is what the Spanish colonialists called the next pearl of the Spanish crown at the beginning of the 16th century, captured in the Caribbean Sea. Today Puerto Rico is a Freely Associated State (Spanish: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico), or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (English: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) - a territory dependent on the United States with the status of an “unincorporated organized territory” ( is administered by the United States without being an integral part of it); validity within the territory of the US Constitution is limited; The supreme power belongs to the US Congress, but the territory has its own system of self-government.
Puerto Rico consists of the main island of Puerto Rico and many smaller islands and cays, including Isla de Mona, Vieques, Culebra, Desecheo and Caja de Muertos ). Of the last five islands, only Vieques and Culebra are inhabited throughout the year. Mona Island is inhabited only by employees of the Puerto Rican Ministry of National Resources.
The main island is 170 km long and 60 km wide, mostly mountainous with large coastal areas in the northern and southern parts. The official languages of Puerto Rico are Spanish and English. Spanish is the main language in government institutions, although English is a compulsory subject of study from primary school to the second year of college.
As of 2006, approximately 3,860,120 people use Spanish as their primary language and 82,000 use English. Although a relatively small proportion of islanders consider English their primary language, the majority of the population in major cities speaks both languages or at least understands English and uses it in certain situations.
Puerto Rico is inhabited by about 3 million 725 thousand people. Puerto Rico was a major tourist destination with a strong pharmaceutical and manufacturing structure. The political status is still not fully determined, and therefore various plebiscites have been held on the island in recent years.
September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. The scale of the destruction was catastrophic: communications and power supply were interrupted, only less than half of the population was able to use drinking water, roads were under rubble, most buildings were destroyed by the elements, 34 people died...
It's hard to leave the island of 3.4 million people: the main airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital, opened two days after the hurricane but is operating at minimal capacity. It can only receive and dispatch a limited number of aircraft due to radar faults; automatic registration systems do not work; Queues for flights on some airlines reach tens of thousands of people.
Puerto Rico's recovery is complicated by the fact that the island has no money. The authorities of Puerto Rico declared bankruptcy back in 2016, the region owes about 70 billion dollars, the island's infrastructure has long been outdated and is in poor condition. President of the U.S.A Donald Trump temporarily suspended Jones law(under which sea freight transport between Puerto Rico and the continental United States is only possible on American ships (built in the USA and operated by Americans) only a week later after the hurricane, which led to criticism of the president. But the problem is not only in the courts.
Currently in Puerto Rico there are about 12 thousand rescuers, but people, according to local authorities, are catastrophically lacks. There are also big problems with organizing the distribution of humanitarian aid, which accumulates in the ports. The scale of destruction in Puerto Rico is such that At least 50 thousand people need help.
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When the mayor of San Juan Carmen Cruz turned to Washington on September 29 with a virtual plea for help, Trump said she was mismanaging the city and accused Democrats of turning the Puerto Rican politician against him. Mutual criticism of politicians, however, had a result, and already on October 3, US President Donald Trump flew to Puerto Rico to meet with residents of the island affected by Hurricane Maria.
Trump met with the governor of Puerto Rico during his five-hour visit. Ricardo Rosello, military personnel and storm victims. The program of his stay on the island includes negotiations with Kenneth Mapp, the governor of the US Virgin Islands, which was also hit by Hurricane Maria.
At the same time, Donald Trump considered it necessary to emphasize that the “unplanned” costs of eliminating the consequences of Hurricane Maria became a heavy burden for the US budget. “I hate to say it here in Puerto Rico, but you have dealt a blow to our budget, throwing it off course,” he said. – We spend a lot of money in Puerto Rico, but that's normal. We saved a lot of lives."
Observers assessed Trump's behavior as "strange" during the distribution of humanitarian aid in one of the churches in San Juan - the president laughed and threw packages of paper towels into the crowd... According to Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosello, more than half of the water and sewerage facilities are still not working. Federal and local authorities are working together to keep 50 of the island's 69 hospitals operational. He added that the American hospital ship Comfort should arrive on the island on Tuesday or Wednesday.
More than 720 of the island's 1,100 gas stations have resumed operations, receiving fuel from the mainland United States. However, the mayor of San Jose, the capital of Puerto Rico, who previously aggressively criticized Trump for insufficient assistance to the island during a humanitarian disaster, Carmen Yulin Cruz, whose home was also damaged by the hurricane, currently continues to live with her family in one of the temporary shelters. " There is only one goal - to save lives,” Cruz said in an interview with ABC on Sunday, when asked about Trump’s comments to her. – Any dialogue must bring results. All I did last week, and this week too, was ask for help.».
As stated on air CNN member of the House of Representatives Nydia Velasquez, visiting her relatives in Puerto Rico after the hurricane, The “real situation” on the island does not correspond to Donald Trump’s “calming” assessments.
« I completely disagree with the president, she said. – Most people here are just trying to survive and save their families." Unfortunately, the tragedy of the people affected by the hurricane in Puerto Rico was distracted by the tragedy of the massacre in Las Vegas... It is obvious that the entire infrastructure of the island must be restored, which, in turn, will require external financial borrowing. How soon will the island state again become a tourist-attractive place if, according to experts, it will take several months just to restore the island’s power supply? Time will tell how the residents of the US-incorporated state will survive all this time...
Updated: March 30, 2019 by: Dmitry Kanis
∗ We are not responsible for the content of columnists' publications. The editors may not agree with the author's opinion. All materials retain the author's style, spelling and punctuation.Illustration copyright AFP Image caption Strong winds blew roofs off houses and tore down wires in San Juan
Powerful Hurricane Maria has caused a complete blackout on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, local authorities say. According to preliminary data, one person died.
The US National Hurricane Center reports that some parts of the island are experiencing catastrophic flooding.
According to the Governor of Puerto Rico (a US territory) Ricardo Rosello, at least one person died as a result of the rampant disaster.
“When we go outside, we see that our island is completely destroyed,” said the head of the emergency management agency, Abner Gomez.
On Wednesday, Puerto Rican authorities imposed a curfew from 6 p.m. that is expected to last until Saturday morning.
Maria reached the east coast of the island on Wednesday, by which time the strength of the hurricane had decreased from the fifth - maximum - category to the fourth.
Illustration copyright Reuters Image caption The storm brought down some old buildings along the San Juan waterfront. Illustration copyright Reuters Image caption Puerto Rican authorities urged residents not to go out during the storm Illustration copyright Reuters Image caption About 500 shelters were set up for residents of Puerto RicoDuring the hurricane, wind speeds in the capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan, reached 225 kilometers per hour. The wind uprooted trees and tore electrical lines.
The governor appealed to US President Donald Trump with a request to declare the island a zone of emergency. In this case, he must receive additional subsidies from the federal budget.
By now, "Maria" has weakened to the second category and is moving towards the Dominican Republic.
On Monday, the hurricane passed over the island of Dominica, causing severe destruction. Seven people became victims of the disaster in the tiny island state.
The hurricane then struck the islands of the French territory of Guadeloupe, where severe damage was also recorded. According to the latest data, two people were killed and two more were missing.
Illustration copyright AFP Image caption The streets of Dominica's capital Roseau are littered with debris after a hurricane Illustration copyright AFP Image caption Flooding has already begun in the city of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic Illustration copyright PA Image caption Cleanup work is underway in the British Virgin IslandsOn Thursday, Maria swept over the US Virgin Islands, where wind speeds reached 281 kilometers per hour.
Maria is the second major hurricane to hit the Caribbean this year. It followed almost the same trajectory as Hurricane Irma that preceded it.
Illustration copyright Jose Jimenez/Getty Images Image caption Puerto Rico residents prepare for hurricane
Hurricane Irma, which previously caused widespread destruction on islands in the Caribbean, is approaching the US territory of Puerto Rico.
As the hurricane approaches, Puerto Rico experiences increased winds and heavy rainfall.
On Wednesday, at least seven people were killed in French overseas territories, while another person was killed in a disaster on the island of Barbuda.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the island, home to 1,700 people, was completely destroyed by the hurricane.
According to preliminary estimates, it will take about $150 million to restore the infrastructure, which authorities estimate is 95% destroyed.
Illustration copyright Reuters Image caption The consequences of a hurricane on the island of Tortola - the largest of the British Virgin Islands
A similar situation has developed in the French territory of Saint Barthelemy and the island of Saint Martin, divided between France and the Netherlands.
Reportedly, many areas were left without electricity, floods were recorded in some places, and the roofs of the houses of local residents were blown off by the wind.
Illustration copyright AFP Image caption The French territories of Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin were left without electricity due to the hurricane
Irma is being called the most powerful Atlantic hurricane in the last decade. The wind speed at the center of the hurricane reaches 300 km/h.
The hurricane reached the fifth, maximum category - it is stronger than Hurricane Harvey, which previously hit the Texas coast and led to catastrophic flooding.
Illustration copyright Reuters Image caption Winds pick up in Puerto Rico as hurricane approaches
As meteorologists have previously noted, a hurricane of this magnitude can easily tear off roofs and break windows, as well as uproot palm trees and turn them into projectiles that can kill people. As experts warn, the hurricane will only gain strength as it moves forward.
US President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in the state of Florida and the US overseas territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. On the island of Key West (Florida), US authorities announced a mandatory evacuation.
It is unclear what impact the hurricane will have on the US mainland.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the British government is in contact with overseas territories in the hurricane's path and is doing "everything we can to help those affected."
Illustration copyright EPA Image caption Mandatory evacuations have been issued in some areas of Florida due to the hurricane.
Meanwhile, the US National Hurricane Center reported that Tropical Storm Jose, which formed over the Atlantic Ocean, has strengthened to a category 1 hurricane and is moving towards the Caribbean region.
Before the hurricane, another tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico, named Katya, also intensified. It was previously reported that it would reach the coast of Mexico on Friday morning.
Hurricane Maria, the second highest-category Atlantic storm of the season, struck Puerto Rico, becoming perhaps the most powerful hurricane to ever hit the U.S. territory. Meteorologists believe that the hurricane will not reach the US coast, like Hurricane Jose, writes USA Today.
Forecasters believe Maria will move north and then east before hitting the East Coast with heavy rain and gusty winds next week, said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Rob Miller.
It's too early to determine the exact path, but indications are that Maria could avoid continental landfall in the U.S., Miller said.
“It appears at this point that Maria’s most likely path will be similar to Jose, staying off the coast,” he said.
A similar path for Maria is welcome news for Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, which are still recovering from Hurricane Irma.
Where is Hurricane Maria now?
Hurricane Maria made landfall near the city of Yabucoa with maximum sustained winds of 249 kilometers (155 miles) per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane was about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of San Juan early Wednesday and moving northwest at 16 kilometers (10 miles) per hour.
Almost 1 million people were without electricity.
According to the BBC, at some point the hurricane's power dropped to category four, but now the storm has again reached category five. The wind force reaches 280 kilometers per hour.
The hurricane is following approximately the same trajectory as the storm that preceded it, Irma.
The governor of Puerto Rico, a US-controlled territory, called on the island's entire population of 3.5 million to seek refuge.
Authorities on many islands in Maria's path fear that debris and debris left behind from Irma's devastation will now be lifted into the air by Maria's winds and cause even more damage.
In addition, there are fears that the heavy downpours accompanying Maria could lead to mudflows, and sea wave heights could reach 2.7 meters, leading to flooding of low-lying areas.
Over the past few weeks, Puerto Rico has seen evacuations from nearby islands to escape previous hurricanes.
Authorities have set up many shelters, but their effectiveness depends on how seriously local residents take Maria's warnings. By Tuesday evening, more than 4,400 people, along with 105 pets, had arrived at shelters.
Puerto Rico Public Safety Commissioner Hector Pesquera urges all residents of this American territory to heed the warnings of the authorities.
“You must evacuate. Otherwise you will die. I don’t know how to convey this idea more clearly,” he said.
Authorities in Antigua and Barbuda, Saba, St. Eustacius, St. Maarten, Anguilla and Martinique are warning people to prepare for the worst.
Puerto Rico has long avoided the direct impact of hurricanes, which typically pass the island from the south or north. The last time a Category 4 hurricane hit Puerto Rico was in 1932, and the strongest storm to hit the island was San Felipe in 1928, when winds reached 255 kilometers per hour.
US President Donald Trump supported the people of Puerto Rico with his post in Twitter:
Puerto Rico was hit hard by a new monster hurricane. Be careful. Our hearts are with you. We will come to the rescue!
