(Reuters) - Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory of 3.4 million people,
struggled through a tenth day with virtually no electricity, patchy
communications and shortages of fuel, clean water and other essentials in the
wake of Hurricane Maria, the most powerful storm to hit the island in nearly 90
years.
The storm struck on Sept. 20 with lethal, roof-ripping force and
torrential rains that caused widespread flooding and heavily damaged homes, roads
and other infrastructure.
These are the resources deployed by the United States to Puerto Rico as
of Friday:
MILITARY RESPONSE
- There are about 4,500 U.S. troops on the ground in Puerto Rico,
including active duty and national guard. An additional 1,400 National Guard
members are expected to arrive in Puerto Rico in four days.
- Forty-three FEMA officials, teams of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and
more than 1,600 National Guard members had sheltered in place during the storm.
- The U.S. military has the USS Kearsarge and Oak Hill, amphibious
assault ships, assisting in relief efforts. The USS Wasp, which has completed
relief efforts off the coast of Dominica, will soon be joining them.
- The USNS Comfort, a hospital ship, is en route to Puerto Rico. The
Comfort is equipped to carry up to 1,000 hospital beds, 12 operating room and
one of America's largest trauma units.
- Fifty-two tilt/rotary-wing aircraft are taking part in efforts, according
to the Pentagon.
- A Defense Logistics Agency shipment of 100 trucks with diesel and
fuel will arrive in next few days.
- The Defense Logistics Agency is preparing to distribute potentially
160 million meals in 30 days.
- By Friday, 15,000 gallons of propane were expected to arrive in
Puerto Rico.
- On Thursday, a C-5C aircraft landed with a generator to help radar
approach operations, the Pentagon said.
POWER AND WATER
- There are 4,000 people working to restore electricity and private
U.S. companies will be bringing in 1,000 additional workers this weekend, the
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) said.
- About 50 percent of people on the island had access to water on
Friday, according to PREPA.
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed a damage assessment at
the Guajataca dam and are consulting on repairs. A flash flood watch is posted
this weekend with 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.5 cm) of rain possible.
INFRASTRUCTURE
- The Pentagon said that eight airports are open, while one airport is
still closed.
- Five of the six FEMA-priority sea ports are open or open with some
restrictions, according the U.S. military.
- According to the Pentagon release, citing a federal coordinating
officer, 400 out of 676 gas stations are open.
- About 90 percent of cell phone sites on island remain out of
commission, according to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
- According to a Pentagon update, which cites FEMA, one hospital was
fully operational, 55 were partially open and five were closed. The status of
eight hospitals was unknown.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Mary
Milliken and Lisa Shumaker)
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