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Photos: Puerto Rico Four Years After Hurricane Maria

Connecticut Public Radio | By Joe Amon
Published September 18, 2021 at 5:08 PM EDT
Jose Carrasquillo Rivera stands in his Canovanas home, which still shows the damage caused by Hurricane Maria four years ago. He has been building a brick home nearby with his own money, dollar for dollar, he said on July 14, 2021.
1 of 16  — Canovanas
Jose Carrasquillo Rivera stands in his Canovanas home, which still shows the damage caused by Hurricane Maria four years ago. He has been building a brick home nearby with his own money, dollar for dollar, he said on July 14, 2021.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
A gated community above Vegas, a barrio in the municipality of Cayey, is mostly back to normal, while homes and roads in the town below still need work.
2 of 16  — Cayey
A gated community above Vegas, a barrio in the municipality of Cayey, is mostly back to normal, while homes and roads in the town below still need work.
Joe Amon/Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Angel Morales puts up form for the concrete roof that he's installing on the home he is rebuilding in Bayamon. He hopes he and his wife, Diane Rivera, can live in it again before Christmas.
3 of 16  — Bayamon
Angel Morales puts up form for the concrete roof that he's installing on the home he is rebuilding in Bayamon. He hopes he and his wife, Diane Rivera, can live in it again before Christmas.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
The lunch crowd relaxes during a hot and humid day at El Rey Del Mondongo in Rio Grande on July 10, 2021.
4 of 16  — Rio Grande
The lunch crowd relaxes during a hot and humid day at El Rey Del Mondongo in Rio Grande on July 10, 2021.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Hair stylist Jose Rivera works on his friend Pedro Quiñones in front of the Barrita Blasini in Guayanilla. "I like to come out and show my work," he said on July 15, 2021.
5 of 16  — Guayanilla
Hair stylist Jose Rivera works on his friend Pedro Quiñones in front of the Barrita Blasini in Guayanilla. "I like to come out and show my work," he said on July 15, 2021.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Still living in a damaged home, 80-year-old Ines Martinez Rivera breaks into dance for her neighbors during a walk near her home in Hato Rey, San Juan.
6 of 16  — San Juan
Still living in a damaged home, 80-year-old Ines Martinez Rivera breaks into dance for her neighbors during a walk near her home in Hato Rey, San Juan.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Nereida Lebron grabs her granddaughter Kamil Reyeis, 5, before she can get away while holding her 2-month-old grandson, Patricio Arevalo, during a visit in San Juan on July 16, 2021.
7 of 16  — San Juan
Nereida Lebron grabs her granddaughter Kamil Reyeis, 5, before she can get away while holding her 2-month-old grandson, Patricio Arevalo, during a visit in San Juan on July 16, 2021.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Jose Luis Camacho Rivera stands in the doorway of the one-room shack in Hato Rey, San Juan, that has served as his home for years while he waits for his new home across the street to be finished.
8 of 16  — San Juan
Jose Luis Camacho Rivera stands in the doorway of the one-room shack in Hato Rey, San Juan, that has served as his home for years while he waits for his new home across the street to be finished.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
A small dog guards what is left of a home in Bayamon that was damaged by Hurricane Maria. The owner is waiting for ownership issues to be resolved so repairs or replacement can begin.
9 of 16  — Bayamon
A small dog guards what is left of a home in Bayamon that was damaged by Hurricane Maria. The owner is waiting for ownership issues to be resolved so repairs or replacement can begin.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Cristobal Morales Rios, 50, has basic electric and gas for the stove in his house. He has no indoor running water and seems to have given up on getting help for his home. He has not been able to prove ownership of the Bayamon property.
10 of 16  — Bayamon
Cristobal Morales Rios, 50, has basic electric and gas for the stove in his house. He has no indoor running water and seems to have given up on getting help for his home. He has not been able to prove ownership of the Bayamon property.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Cristobal Morales Rios, 50, outside of his house, which has no indoor running water. Rios seems to have given up getting help for his home after not being able to prove ownership of the Bayamon property.
11 of 16  — Bayamon
Cristobal Morales Rios, 50, outside of his house, which has no indoor running water. Rios seems to have given up getting help for his home after not being able to prove ownership of the Bayamon property.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Elias Morales, 63, fiercely hugs a member of Club Semillitas de Amor Inc., a community group that has been his lifeline. His small home in Bayamon is not structurally sound and will need to be torn down, but he still lives there, waiting for an evaluation.
12 of 16  — Bayamon
Elias Morales, 63, fiercely hugs a member of Club Semillitas de Amor Inc., a community group that has been his lifeline. His small home in Bayamon is not structurally sound and will need to be torn down, but he still lives there, waiting for an evaluation.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Elias Morales, 63, stands in the gutted bedroom of his small home in Bayamon on July 11, 2021. The house is not structurally sound and will need to be torn down, but Morales is still waiting for an evaluation.
13 of 16  — Bayamon
Elias Morales, 63, stands in the gutted bedroom of his small home in Bayamon on July 11, 2021. The house is not structurally sound and will need to be torn down, but Morales is still waiting for an evaluation.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
A man sits alone in a square that was teaming with people just a few short hours before in San Juan on July 14, 2021.
14 of 16  — San Juan
A man sits alone in a square that was teaming with people just a few short hours before in San Juan on July 14, 2021.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Orlando Colon Martinez is on his way up a mountain to cut sweet grass for the calves on his farm in Cayey on July 14, 2021.
15 of 16  — Cayey
Orlando Colon Martinez is on his way up a mountain to cut sweet grass for the calves on his farm in Cayey on July 14, 2021.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
A lone cow on a mountainside farm in Cayey on July 14, 2021.
16 of 16  — Cayey
A lone cow on a mountainside farm in Cayey on July 14, 2021.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public

The effects of Hurricane Maria, a deadly Category 4 hurricane that swept Puerto Rico four years ago, left the island shaken. A series of earthquakes then rattled Puerto Rico, leaving many islanders who most need help still waiting and hoping for some sense of a normal life. Community leaders, neighbors and nonprofit groups are still scrambling for donations of food, clothing and money to keep the people of Puerto Rico going. Delays, lost documents and finding proof of property ownership have left homes in shambles with seemingly no hope of being rebuilt. Some people are starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel and are slowly finding their way back to their Puerto Rico.

For more on the impact of Hurricane Maria and ties to New England, stream on-demand Cutline - Los de María: Four Years After the Hurricane.

Tags
News Puerto RicoNew England News CollaborativeThe Island Next Door
Joe Amon
Joe Amon is a Visuals Editor with Connecticut Public’s Visuals department. As a photojournalist he has covered breaking news, sports and long form storytelling across the United States.
See stories by Joe Amon

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