Aid begins to reach storm-ravaged Puerto Rico

Federal and international aid has started to flow into Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island last week. The Category 4 storm destroyed property and left people in the U.S. territory without fresh water, electricity, and phone service. Officials have confirmed at least 10 deaths, and they expect the number to rise as they gain access to remote towns. A federal control board overseeing Puerto Rico’s finances authorized up to $1 billion in local funds for crisis response. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said it will take satellite phones to all of the island’s cities. Carlos Ocasio, a maintenance worker in San Juan, walked though tree branches and broken glass before he could find a good cell signal to let his brother in New Jersey know he was OK. “My throat got a little choked up and I couldn’t talk for a minute,” Ocasio said. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, during a Sunday news conference, launched a statewide effort to donate goods and offer medical services to the island. At the same news conference, singer Jennifer Lopez announced she will donate $1 million to Puerto Rico and said other Latino musicians, athletes, and business leaders also committed resources to relief efforts. Samaritan’s Purse has sent a disaster response team and emergency supplies, including generators, to Puerto Rico and other islands affected by the storm. In nearby Dominica, officials said Maria’s death toll has risen to 27. The storm, now a Category 1 hurricane, prompted evacuations from two islands along North Carolina’s Outer Banks. As Maria moves north, forecasters predict large swells and flooding along the East Coast, although the storm will remain well offshore.