All the chaos in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria is preventing people from leaving the island - but it is also preventing them from getting the supplies they need.
Stories are emerging from the island and from the United States that show how hard it is to get anything into and out of Puerto Rico.
“In my experience, in Cleveland working on natural disasters, what has gone on here has been awful,” said Brian Davis.
Davis, a Cleveland native, was in Puerto Rico celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary, when Hurricane Maria came barreling through.
“All the hotels are booked or flooded or closed because of hurricane damage, so we’ve been wandering around for the last two days looking for a place to stay,” he said.
The couple is now stranded in San Juan and has been forced to stay at the San Juan convention center. They’ve been told the first available flight home won’t be until October 6.
Back home in Cleveland, people are doing what they can to help.
“We came together, like to me, that I’ve never seen before,” said Margie Colon.
The Cleveland Puerto Rican community has collected seven truckloads worth of supplies to send to their home island. The problem now is figuring out how to get it all there.
“I’m hoping, I’m hoping that maybe, by the end of the week we should have a plan, or maybe even sooner,” said Colon.
For now, the supplies sit in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood as these Puerto Ricans pray their loved ones are safe.
Many of them still have not had contact with their family living in Puerto Rico.
Donations for Puerto Rico can be taken to the San Lorenzo Club at 3415 Clark Avenue in Cleveland. They are accepting canned goods, baby food, clothing, water, non-perishable items, diapers, pet supplies, everything but cash.
