Anchor Paul LaGrone flew with the US Coast Guard to deliver supplies to Puerto Rico and bring back military families. He describes the destruction he saw left behind from Hurricane Maria.
The moment we stepped off the plane the destruction from Hurricane Maria was immediately clear.
Right when you walked out of the airport in Borinquen, about two hours west of San Juan, there to meet you were downed power lines draping to your chest.
The damage was 360 degrees, from downed trees, to fences and ripped off roof tiles.
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Lt. Comander Ed Aponte can tell you about all the hardships he’s seen traveling the roads of Puerto Rico.
"I saw a line of cars over a kilometer long now confirmed two kilometers long to one gas station," he said.
But he can also testify to the goodwill he’s witnessed in Maria’s wake.
"There is still a lot of damage and it will take a while for the island to recover from this but they have come together," said Aponte.
The people of Puerto Rico are generating their own power.
"They're all out there talking to each other asking how they are doing making sure everyone is well fed and take care of," said Aponte.
Maria may have knocked out the lights here but it didn’t darken their hope that Puerto Rico will eventually come back from this. Still, the suffering here is real and the people are weary of the long road ahead.
