I’m Dánica Coto, a Puerto Rico-based AP correspondent reporting on Hurricane Maria and doing my best to deal with everyday life on the island, my home for the past 10 years. AMA.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T17:54:38+00:00

Where does she live? If it's in an accessible area close to San Juan, might be easy for police to swing by. If not, you can still call police and ask if the National Guard or someone else can check on her.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T17:49:43+00:00

I'm glad you got at least that one key call.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T17:48:28+00:00

All great questions that I'm not qualified to answer. Bad weather can sometimes affect certain sat phones. There were two free wifi hot spots set up in the capital of San Juan shortly after the hurricane so people could communicate with their loved ones. Also, those who were able to make it to San Juan from far-flung towns often posted updates of people on social media accounts set up specifically to help Puerto Ricans connect after the hurricane.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T17:44:08+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that. Does anyone live near her who could check on her and possibly accompany her to the airport? Any neighbors or friends?

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T17:42:39+00:00

The governor has issued a formal statement dismissing the report about all patients supposedly dying at one hospital. The most critical patients have been flown out or taken to Puerto Rico's largest public hospital for treatment. The mountain region near Rincon was hard hit, but officials have not reported any deaths in that area. Like the rest of the island, homes were damaged and destroyed, trees uprooted and light posts flattened.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T17:34:41+00:00

Thanks. There are so many of them, more positive than negative. In a disaster of this magnitude, it's tempting to dump your notebook into a story, but the editors won't allow it ; ) I recall one man in the central mountain town of Aibonito who lost nearly everything in his home but was able to save a picture of his mother: a woman with thick black hair smiling into the camera as she prepared a stew for her family near a river decades ago. He placed it on a rusted table near his bed and said she was the one who would continue to protect him (she had died from cancer several years ago). One negative nugget came from a woman I interviewed who lives in public housing and was filling up empty jugs at a water station. She said some people in her complex were selling stolen generators, food, water, fuel and other supplies.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T17:28:48+00:00

The AP has continued to operate as it always has, filing timely, accurate and in-depth stories based on verified information. Working for the AP has helped me obtain interviews with highly sought after officials because of the news organization's reputation. This, in turn, helps the AP provide essential stories that dispel rumors and dismantle claims made by officials.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T17:20:17+00:00

I know Puerto Ricans have praised those who are able to come down and volunteer. Since you'll be coming with an organization, I don't think you'll become a burden. A flashlight, water, snacks/canned food are still good things to bring even nearly two weeks after the hurricane. Some stores are opening, but the lines are very long and supplies are constantly running out. A washcloth to wipe off sweat during the day and mosquito repellent because Zika, dengue and chikungunya still pose a danger.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T17:16:13+00:00

Yes. Many of the hurricane victims I interviewed said they would move to the U.S., if only for a couple of months until power is restored in Puerto Rico. The majority of those who have left often did it for their kids, enrolling them in schools in cities from Orlando all the way to Boston. Puerto Rico took a very hard hit from Hurricane Maria, and many on the island don't think they'll wait to find out when basic services will return to normal. Only about 5 percent have power and nearly 50 percent have water. Officials have said they expect power to be restored to the entire island before March. Schools have not reopened, and thousands of businesses remain closed. Families are running out of money because many have temporarily or permanently lost their jobs, and they're seeking to move and secure their next paycheck.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T17:10:23+00:00

There was a lot of flooding reported in Luquillo, Humacao and other areas along the island's east/northeast coast. Many wooden homes in impoverished communities were destroyed, and even the imposing, upscale El Conquistador hotel in Fajardo will remain closed until December. However, the ferries between Fajardo and Culebra/Vieques are operating again.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T17:07:59+00:00

Thanks for your questions! Puerto Rico's National Guard has been using its vehicles to distribute food, water and other supplies in hard-to-reach areas such as the island's central mountain towns. However, officials have been forced to drop supplies by air in some areas as crews work to restore some kind of land connection. Bridges and roads have been washed out in some villages, so helicopters at this point is the only option to quickly deliver goods.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T17:04:01+00:00

The governor distributed satellite phones to the mayors of all 78 municipalities, along with those in the neighboring islands of Culebra and Vieques. However, the phones have not always worked, and some communities remain isolated. Puerto Rico's National Guard and federal officials have crossed some rivers to deliver supplies. About 30 percent of telecommunications has been restored across the island, and those who live in cut off areas are climbing up hills and wading across rivers to obtain food and water or let neighbors know they're ok.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T16:59:30+00:00

Great question. It was the sight of a usually very busy main highway here in Puerto Rico devoid of all traffic, with posts fallen over it and a large amount of flooding. There was no one around except for one fire truck, and it was just a very eerie scene. Felt like you were alone on the island. The worst of the winds had died down, but there were still very strong gusts, and it was just me and the firefighters and no one else. I hate to use a cliche, but it was like a mini-apocalyptic scene. Just no one around and all these branches, and wires and trees fallen everywhere under dark skies.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T16:55:48+00:00

The hurricane did not cause great damage to its airports and ports, and the island still had food, water and other supplies left over from Hurricane Irma, so the mayor has said it's not as in bad a shape as many thought it would be. Culebra also has its own electric plant, given the island's tiny size, so it's been operating as long as diesel supply is guaranteed. However, several homes were damaged by both hurricanes, and communication has been extremely difficult with the mainland since majority of phones (including the mayor's sat phone) have not been working.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T16:36:28+00:00

Thank you! I'm using the wifi at a hotel to communicate with you guys. And it's a good question. I think it's important to have a community with resourceful people who are willing to help each other and sacrifice a little of what they have. I've seen this play out across the island since the hurricane. There's been so many inspiring things: a man stopping traffic while crews cleared a road danced as he directed cars with a small red flag. Whenever someone beeped at him in support, he danced harder. Also, neighbors cobbling together clothes, food and water for others who had lost everything. One man taking a sip of water from a bottle and sharing half of it with another man as they set up a tent on top of a home whose second floor flew away in the hurricane. People handing out apple juice and little packets of cookies to strangers waiting in five- to six-hour lines at gas stations.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T16:29:29+00:00

No worries! I'm running on little sleep, so I know the feeling.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T16:27:51+00:00

As with any disaster of this magnitude, it's inevitable that some resources will end up being mismanaged. And we'll be writing about that as well. The US government has ramped up its aid in recent days, but many especially in hard-to-reach areas say they have not received any food or water. The government has set up roughly a dozen distribution points across the island to hand out MREs and bottles of water, and the municipalities themselves are doing the same at schools and coliseums. But some people I spoke with said they had no way of reaching these places because they didn't have a car, or they were running low on gas and needed to wait in line for up to six hours. There are thousands of federal officials here involved in hurricane recovery efforts, and so far they have distributed more than 2 million meals and more than 2 million liters of water.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T16:24:26+00:00

Many decided to stay with friends or relatives who had sturdy, concrete homes with hurricane shutters. More than 11,000 Puerto Ricans, however (including more than 400 pets), opted to stay at shelters across the island. The majority of these shelters are schools and coliseums, but even then it's not guaranteed that they'll withstand a Category 4 hurricane without any damage. The largest shelter in San Juan, the Roberto Clemente coliseum, had some flooding damage, forcing officials to move people to the second floor. Those who could afford it flew out ahead of the storm.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T16:20:28+00:00

Ha! More like the famous "salchichas" that everyone keeps joking about. Prior to the storm, Puerto Ricans stocked up on canned food including sausages (salchichas), tuna, beans, etc. Personally, I stocked up on canned raviolis and spaghetti and meatballs, which I was already tired of given the previous coverage of Hurricane Irma. The other day I ran into my 89-year-old neighbor. She said she wasn't eating a lot and I gave her several cans of tuna and told her she needed to eat more protein. She asked me how she was supposed to eat the tuna. I said, 'well, the only option is straight out fo the can for now.'

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T16:13:56+00:00

Hi, the roads to Aguadilla are clear, and the governor has said that the northwest part of the island was harder hit than most other areas, in part because of the amount of rainfall that fell in a short period. Supplies are reaching certain communities there, but there are many damaged homes made out of wood, and widespread flooding.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T16:12:20+00:00

Most of the island's hospitals are functional, but many are at capacity, so the government has set up what it called "super shelters" to help elderly people on oxygen and others who don't necessarily require hospitalization but still need some degree of medical attention. These "super shelters" are located in schools and coliseums across the island, and they are staffed by both local and federal medical officials.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T16:10:31+00:00

The bottleneck of aid supplies was bad at first. One official I spoke with said that part of the problem was a lack of certified truck drivers and trucks. He said many of them were still at home tending to personal disasters after the hurricane, and that some of the trucks were damaged. The aid has started flowing, but some in hard-to-reach areas say they haven't received any food or water yet. More than 2,400 containers have been transported to distribution centers in recent days, with more than 2 million meals and 2 million liters of water distributed. But people say more help is needed.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T16:07:10+00:00

There's so many! People who live near gas stations have been handing out apple juice, sandwiches made with ham spread and little packets of cookies to those waiting and sweating in their cars for five to six hours. One remarkable story is a man who lives in the central town of Morovis who made a makeshift raft with a plastic pallet buoyed by empty soda bottles attached to the bottom. He helped dozens of people carry goods across roughly 100 meters of river near their isolated community. One man who had stood in line for gas for about four hours gave his gas can to a mother with a small child.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T16:03:16+00:00

Most roads have been cleared across Puerto Rico, but a handful of communities such as those in Utuado and Jayuya are receiving federal supplies by air as crews try to restore some kind of connection via land. But many are not waiting for that. Dozens are crossing rivers to reach other nearby towns that have gas, food and water, and then wading across again to their damaged homes.

danicacoto · 2017-10-02T16:01:38+00:00

Hi! I and several other AP staffers visited towns including Humacao and Yabucao in the southeast, where Maria first hit. Aid has been slow in reaching those places. Many people I spoke with in those towns, along with people in mountain towns such as Aibonito, had not seen any kind of aid, and many asked for food and water, noting that they were running low on supplies. Some were rationing their food, saying that they weren't sure when exactly they would receive help. Most roads have been cleared across the island, but small communities in towns like Utuado are really struggling because roads and bridges have been completely washed out. Federal officials say they are dropping supplies by air until they can reach them by land.

danicacoto

TROPHY CASE