Small Signs Of Progress As Millions Still Without Power In Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN (CBSNewYork) -- Small signs of progress were seen in San Juan, Puerto Rico Saturday, 11 days after Hurricane Maria crippled the island's infrastructure.
Some buses are running weekend routes and engineers have cleared access to seven communication towers, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency says San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport can now handle 250 flights a day.
Meanwhile millions across the island are still without electricity, and residents are running low on food and water.
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello visited ports in the U.S. territory on Saturday, where FEMA sent several shipments of badly needed supplies.
"We're going to move them quickly to 11 points in Puerto Rico where mayors can go get food, water for their communities," he said.
Volunteers are driving trucks from the Port of San Juan to remote neighborhoods, as 10,000 people remain in the 150 shelters that are still open.
In the Tri-State Area, people are answering the call for help and donating desperately needed supplies to the island.
On Saturday, the New York Hispanic Clergy held a donation drive in the Bronx. They collected food, clothing, and non-perishable items. At the Javitz center, boxes of supplies are piling up and are ready to be shipped.
"It's the very best of humanity," Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said. "That's exactly what we're seeing here, and usually in times of need and crisis that's the silver lining."
The music streaming service Tidal plans on putting all of those supplies on a cargo plane which will head to Puerto Rico next Saturday.