SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Residents continue to restore their homes and businesses almost a year after Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on the island of Puerto Rico.
Six months after seeing the damages News 6 reporter Vanessa Araiza returned to the U.S. territory to see the progress.
A family in a San Juan neighborhood hid in a back room in their home for five hours.
It was one of the only areas that was surrounded by concrete and kept them safe, but Hurricane Maria's fierce wind didn't show any mercy for the rest of their home. Parts of their aluminum roof flew off like sheets of paper.
Down the street, Evelyn Castro took shelter in her concrete home during the storm.
For months, a snapped electrical pole blocked off her street. The cables from the pole filled the road.
"We haven't had any outages or anything like that and everything seems to be good. The drains seem to be good. God has blessed us a lot," Castro said.
Castro's power was restored right before Christmas. Cable and phone services are still down for many residents.
Good morning and Happy Fathers Day! Photojournalist @Kellenphotog and I are back in Puerto Rico since our last visit in December. One thing we noticed almost immediately is the mood at the airport. More upbeat.... seemed more normal than last time we flew in. Stories to come! pic.twitter.com/v51csAygv5
— Vanessa Araiza (@AraizaReport) June 17, 2018
The cables that filled the streets are now tied up with a a quarter-inch thick yellow rope.
"It's a bunch of wires holding it together. That happens in a lot of the communities. They didn't have poles and who knows when they're going to come back. That's what I say, we live from day to day," Castro said.