A local resident washes her hair with water from a pipe on the side of a road near Ciales, Puerto Rico, about two weeks after Hurricane Maria hit the island.
As some Puerto Ricans fill flights to Miami, we asked a handful of people in San Juan their thoughts about leaving their homes for the mainland US. About 3.4 million people live in Puerto Rico, and some will choose to leave the island behind and move permanently.
The House passed a $36.5 billion aid package last week and on Sunday, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricard Rosselló said he expected power to be restored to 95 percent of the island’s electric grid by Dec. 15. Currently, 85 percent of the island is still without electricity.
Most of the people we spoke to responded that they would not leave their families behind but planned to stay and rebuild.
Yolanda Prosper, teacher, San Juan resident
Gabriel Rodriguez, production and creative director at an advertising agency, San Juan resident
Maria Olivero, acting public affairs officer at VA Caribbean Healthcare System
César Gutiérrez, Marine Corps veteran, San Juan resident
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