Much of Puerto Rico’s electrical grid is still dark after Hurricane Maria thrashed the island last month, and restoring full power to the island could take as long as six months, E&E News reports.
In the meantime, Puerto Ricans are forced to cope without electricity. State senators have left stuffy offices and dead computers to loiter in fancy hotel lobbies, bumming free Wi-Fi.
School attendance is astronomically low. At one school, 42 students out of 730 showed up to play basketball and draw on the sidewalks with chalk. The schoolrooms, without any air conditioning, are little more than sweatboxes during the day, E&E reports.
While 17 percent of the island’s electricity has been restored, that power has largely gone to critical infrastructure such as hospitals, water stations and the airport. Almost no home on the island has electricity.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues to aid Puerto Rican officials in the recovery effort, many residents remain frustrated. Emergency personnel are handicapped by the lack of communications on the island.
Although hospitals are open, some Puerto Ricans are trapped in homes, sick and without power and cell service. Even those who are healthy at the moment cannot call for help if an accident happens, according to Business Insider.
FEMA has delivered millions of units of food and water, and Congress has approved billions in aid. Many citizens still aren’t receiving the packages, however.
The FBI is investigating allegations that some Puerto Rican officials are only passing out packages to friends or not passing out packages at all. Puerto Rican Secretary of State Luis Rivera Martin found pallets full of supplies thrown away in the back of dump truck after he investigated tips of waste.
WATCH: FBI Reviews Allegations Of Puerto Rican Officials Withholding Hurricane Relief
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