CAGUAS, Puerto Rico (AP) — More than half a million people in Puerto Rico remained without water service on Wednesday — three days after after Hurricane Fiona slammed into the U.S. territory — sending many to line up for hours to fill jugs from water trucks and others to scoop water from mountain runoff.
Sweat rolled down the faces of people in a long line of cars in the northern mountain town of Caguas, where the government had set up a water truck, one of at least 18 so-called “oases” set up across the island.
The setback was maddening for many across an island once again left without basic services following a storm.
“We thought we had a bad experience with Maria, but this was worse,” said Gerardo Rodríguez in the southern coastal town of Salinas, referring to the 2017 hurricane that caused nearly 3,000 deaths and demolished the U.S. territory's power grid.
Fiona dumped roughly two feet of rain on parts of Puerto Rico before blasting across the eastern Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Swelled to Category 4 force, the storm was on a track to pass close by Bermuda late Thursday or Friday and then hit easternmost Canada by late Friday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
The storm played havoc with the Puerto Rico's electrical grid, which had been patched but never fully rebuilt after Maria caused a blackout that lasted 11 months in some places.
As of Wednesday afternoon, roughly 70% of Puerto Rican customers lacked electricity, according to government figures.
In Caguas, the air conditioning of Emayra Veguilla’s car wasn't working, so the 34-year-old bus driver propped up a small fan in the passenger seat. Earlier that day, she had blasted the song “Hijos del Canaveral,” (“Sons of the Sugarcane Field"), written by Puerto Rican hip-hop star René Pérez as an ode to Puerto Rico and its people’s bravery.
“I needed a shot of patriotism,” she said. “I needed strength to do this once again.”
Veguilla had waited in line on Tuesday, only to be told the water had run out and that another truck would not be available until the next day.
Some people ahead of Veguilla gave up and drove away, with tensions running high the longer people waited.
“Move!” yelled one driver, fearful of people trying to cut in.