🇵🇷Puerto 'Rico' 💔

Actual home where people were residing before the hurricane.

Many folks believe after a few weeks everything goes back to normal as quickly as it arrived. That is the farthest thing from reality. The news oftentimes passes from one tragedy quickly to the next, giving the impression it is over and everything is fine and dandy as quickly as they covered it.

With these recent photographs, most taken just barely two days ago, demonstrate real people's homes as they are today. From people I personally know to people I interviewed. The photographs show the need there still is and how many people are currently living in Puerto Rico.

Destruction after destruction. Many of the old, classic, wooden homes in the Belgica section were slaughtered.

From flying doors to detached wooden walls

The infamous new look throughout the island once known as Puerto Rico (rich port) are detached wooden walls, missing or detached doors of all kinds and the most common ---'sun roofs'.

One of the worst hit homes very near the Pueblo.

The Forgotten The Unworthy

If you don't have a political connection or attached in anyway to an agency then you're not in the lucky group.

Sometimes, even if you do work for a certain employer your Mother will still not get the needed help. This is the case of a neighbor at the condo where I live who has been left without a landline phone for well over a month though her daughter works for Claro™ (the current servicing company). This neighbor is over eighty years old, diabetic and asthmatic.

Clearly, there's no priority system in place for the elderly and sick. Most of the elderly population are cellular phone illiterate, no matter how many times it gets explained to them; so that option is not exactly a solution either.

A house's wall being held by a fallen tree and some bricks.

Subhuman conditions, the unworthy.

The above home belongs to a lady called Rosie Rodriguez, she lives there with her husband and youngest sibling. Hurricane Maria tore their wooden home. The left side of the home is being held by a toppled tree the hurricane left them and they decided to aid by placing bricks under the fallen tree, otherwise they will be left with no wall. Their front wall, windows and door are gone. They're afraid to have tarps placed (though neighbor's and passersby have volunteered to either give or place them), because the structure of the home is so weak they're afraid the roof will cave in. They are currently taking turns looking after what's left of their home.

They are exposed to the elements and most of their furniture and belongings have been destroyed by what seems like weekly tropical storms since the hurricane. Rosie sleeps on what is left of her bed and sleeps on the box spring by placing a comforter over it. To avoid the traffic lights she places a large umbrella over her head, "I don't like sleeping with light, and you see that pole over there? That brightens the entire home".

Rosie Rodriguez' home ravaged by hurricane Maria, surrounded by umbrellas and a very weak roof.

Dangerous Conditions Throughout

Rosie's home shows dangerous conditions to live by, the only reason the entire home seems to have not fallen in--- yet, is because of its' concrete floor.

When asked if FEMA* or any other government entity has helped, her answer was no one (even though she is within walking distance of Mayor "Mayita's" office). Rosie and her family (all passed middle age), have been surviving on the generosity of passersby and local small businesses that hand-out food to them and whatever else they can.

The Rodriguez family is currently picking-up scrap metal to help with their expenses. As Rosie said, "I do not like begging, I rather get paid two dollars but earn them."

*FEMA, according to Rosie, denied the family help, because of "her sister's social security income."

Coincidently Rosie's niece that lives just down the block also lost her home.

Roof and walls gone.

Debris and wet furniture can be seen outside of what is left of the home. This too is something that has become common in most streets. There's so much debris and wet furniture the municipalities are overwhelmed with the demand to clear side walks.

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For more on this topic: Locals with ties to Puerto Rico worry, try to help - timesunion.com