Chicago man's family in Puerto Rico again face aftermath of devastating hurricane
CHICAGO (CBS) –The U.S. Coast Guard is assessing the damage from Hurricane Fiona on the island of Puerto Rico.
Most of the island is without power and heavy flooding has been triggering mud slides.
It's a major concern for one Chicago family with Puerto Rican ties. They're dealing with extensive damage, exactly five years after another deadly storm, Hurricane Maria, hit in 2017.
CBS 2's Marissa Perlman spoke to the family living through yet another tragedy.
David Herrera, a man of faith, is praying for Puerto Rico, his home for more than 20 years.
"You pray and pray that everything is going to be OK, and then you let it go," Herrera said.
"Big disasters," he added. "Nobody can tell what's going to happen."
Herrera is in San Lorenzo, a small, mountainous town in southeastern Puerto Rico. He falls asleep now to the 100 mile per hour-winds.
"We live on an island," he said. "There's going to be storms. There's going to be hurricanes. Is it worth it? It's always a challenge."
The rain took out trees around his property. He's waiting until it's safe to inspect the foundation to see if his home will stay standing.
He worries about mudslides, but he has power, one of only a few on the island who do.
More than 2 feet of rain was dumped on the island, knocking out Puerto Rico's electric supply.
Herrera put up solar panels exactly one month ago.
"Even a small thing as solar panels make such a huge difference, especially with everything that's going on with the power grid," said Herrera's son, Pablo.
Pablo Herrera is in Chicago. He helped his parents rebuild after Hurricane Maria, spending eight weeks on the island in 2017.
"We're a resilient people, no matter what happens there is a sense of community," said Pablo Herrera.
The devastation is widespread, but for the Herreras, Puerto Rico is home and always will be.
"You've got to take the bad with the good," said "Things happen. It's just about how you confront those bad situations."
As of Tuesday morning, the power company said more than 80% of the island is still in the dark.
The economic impact from Hurricane Fiona is expected to be up to $10 billion.
