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| Aid Is Getting to Puerto Rico. Distributing It Remains a Challenge. | Aid Is Getting to Puerto Rico. Distributing It Remains a Challenge. |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| LAS MARÍAS, P.R. — Inside a dark school building sheltering families left homeless by landslides and hurricane winds, bottled water was getting so scarce on Monday that relief workers parceled out one small plastic cup to go with each person’s dinner. | LAS MARÍAS, P.R. — Inside a dark school building sheltering families left homeless by landslides and hurricane winds, bottled water was getting so scarce on Monday that relief workers parceled out one small plastic cup to go with each person’s dinner. |
| “We have to ration a little bit,” a relief worker, Yamary Rivera, told a shirtless 69-year-old man in a wheelchair as he tucked into a foil tray of hot dogs, rice and beans and syrupy canned apricots. | |
| At a local command center, the mayor of this demolished mountain municipality of 9,500 people was also waiting for food and water — nine pallets sent by the federal government that lay at a regional distribution center an hour away. But the only way for the mayor, Edwin Soto Santiago, to get them was to send a truck down muddy, tree-strewn roads. And a day earlier, Las Marías had missed its chance to pick up a fresh shipment, the mayor said, because nobody told them it had arrived. | At a local command center, the mayor of this demolished mountain municipality of 9,500 people was also waiting for food and water — nine pallets sent by the federal government that lay at a regional distribution center an hour away. But the only way for the mayor, Edwin Soto Santiago, to get them was to send a truck down muddy, tree-strewn roads. And a day earlier, Las Marías had missed its chance to pick up a fresh shipment, the mayor said, because nobody told them it had arrived. |
| “We’re still looking for it,” Mr. Santiago said. | “We’re still looking for it,” Mr. Santiago said. |
| Two weeks after Hurricane Maria split apart Puerto Rico, basic aid is now trickling into towns and barrios aching for assistance. But many families are still receiving just meager portions, and delivery is being hampered by bureaucratic choke points that have put ill-equipped and overburdened local mayors in charge of figuring out how to haul supplies from regional drop-off points to their storm-ravaged towns. | Two weeks after Hurricane Maria split apart Puerto Rico, basic aid is now trickling into towns and barrios aching for assistance. But many families are still receiving just meager portions, and delivery is being hampered by bureaucratic choke points that have put ill-equipped and overburdened local mayors in charge of figuring out how to haul supplies from regional drop-off points to their storm-ravaged towns. |
| Mr. Santiago said that the first aid shipment to Las Marías, where one person died and scores of homes were destroyed, had arrived by military helicopter last Tuesday. The town has since received two shipments from the Red Cross and three from the regional center in Mayagüez, on Puerto Rico’s western coast. But Mr. Santiago said he was still waiting for a satellite phone promised to him by Puerto Rican officials, and said he had been trying unsuccessfully to reach water authorities about when running water might be restored. | Mr. Santiago said that the first aid shipment to Las Marías, where one person died and scores of homes were destroyed, had arrived by military helicopter last Tuesday. The town has since received two shipments from the Red Cross and three from the regional center in Mayagüez, on Puerto Rico’s western coast. But Mr. Santiago said he was still waiting for a satellite phone promised to him by Puerto Rican officials, and said he had been trying unsuccessfully to reach water authorities about when running water might be restored. |
| “During Georges, we didn’t have to look for anything,” Mr. Santiago said, referring to the hurricane that lashed Puerto Rico and the Caribbean in 1998, two years after he was first elected mayor. “Everything came here. Now, we have to go look for it, go ask for it.” | “During Georges, we didn’t have to look for anything,” Mr. Santiago said, referring to the hurricane that lashed Puerto Rico and the Caribbean in 1998, two years after he was first elected mayor. “Everything came here. Now, we have to go look for it, go ask for it.” |
| Governor Ricardo A. Rosselló acknowledged at a news conference on Tuesday that officials were still working out kinks that have prevented the distribution of relief supplies sent to the island. He announced that the government would provide trucks to the municipalities that needed them. | Governor Ricardo A. Rosselló acknowledged at a news conference on Tuesday that officials were still working out kinks that have prevented the distribution of relief supplies sent to the island. He announced that the government would provide trucks to the municipalities that needed them. |
| About 95 percent of the island remains without power, the governor said. Cellphone service has been restored to about 40 percent of households, and more than half still don’t have running water. Mr. Rosselló said a major issue remains getting transportation to distribute aid sent to the island to people who need it. | About 95 percent of the island remains without power, the governor said. Cellphone service has been restored to about 40 percent of households, and more than half still don’t have running water. Mr. Rosselló said a major issue remains getting transportation to distribute aid sent to the island to people who need it. |
| “We have delivered food and water and it hasn’t gotten to some people,” he said. “They didn’t listen, couldn’t hear, the information didn’t get to them.” | “We have delivered food and water and it hasn’t gotten to some people,” he said. “They didn’t listen, couldn’t hear, the information didn’t get to them.” |
| “I recognize there are still people that might not have gotten those resources,” he added. | “I recognize there are still people that might not have gotten those resources,” he added. |
| The governor’s remarks came as President Trump visited the island amid lingering concerns about the effectiveness of the response to the storm. | The governor’s remarks came as President Trump visited the island amid lingering concerns about the effectiveness of the response to the storm. |
| Mr. Rosselló also said the federal government had denied a request to allow hurricane victims in Puerto Rico who use food stamps to redeem them at fast-food restaurants and other places that serve prepared hot meals. | Mr. Rosselló also said the federal government had denied a request to allow hurricane victims in Puerto Rico who use food stamps to redeem them at fast-food restaurants and other places that serve prepared hot meals. |
| He said he was pursuing the issue with federal officials and was hoping the waiver would come soon. | He said he was pursuing the issue with federal officials and was hoping the waiver would come soon. |
| With a widespread power failure having knocked out electricity to the island for the past two weeks, food stamp recipients around the island have said that they have been unable to use their benefits at supermarkets, because most stores are running on generators and do not have access to computer systems to process the cards. About 1.3 million Puerto Ricans — nearly 40 percent of the population — use food stamps. Federal rules prohibit public assistance beneficiaries from using the cards in restaurants. | With a widespread power failure having knocked out electricity to the island for the past two weeks, food stamp recipients around the island have said that they have been unable to use their benefits at supermarkets, because most stores are running on generators and do not have access to computer systems to process the cards. About 1.3 million Puerto Ricans — nearly 40 percent of the population — use food stamps. Federal rules prohibit public assistance beneficiaries from using the cards in restaurants. |
| Many banks are still closed, which has also limited peoples’ ability to buy food with cash. With no cash or food stamps, people are relying on neighbors and whatever canned goods they purchased in the days before the storm hit. | Many banks are still closed, which has also limited peoples’ ability to buy food with cash. With no cash or food stamps, people are relying on neighbors and whatever canned goods they purchased in the days before the storm hit. |
| “I have the money on my account, but nobody has their systems running,” said Marilyn Cruz, 39, who lives in Comerío with her three children. She went to the supermarket to buy water, because bottled water always runs out at the shelter where she is staying with her three children. | “I have the money on my account, but nobody has their systems running,” said Marilyn Cruz, 39, who lives in Comerío with her three children. She went to the supermarket to buy water, because bottled water always runs out at the shelter where she is staying with her three children. |
| “Any water we drank, I had to buy,” she said. | “Any water we drank, I had to buy,” she said. |
| In interviews, both former and current FEMA officials say the agency’s role in disasters has always been to provide supplies such as food and water and generators to local officials. It is the responsibility of local officials to get those supplies out to communities, the officials said. | In interviews, both former and current FEMA officials say the agency’s role in disasters has always been to provide supplies such as food and water and generators to local officials. It is the responsibility of local officials to get those supplies out to communities, the officials said. |
| But in Puerto Rico large portions of the infrastructure was destroyed and badly damaged; many roads are still impassable nearly two weeks after Hurricane Maria made landfall. | But in Puerto Rico large portions of the infrastructure was destroyed and badly damaged; many roads are still impassable nearly two weeks after Hurricane Maria made landfall. |
| Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, said that given the damage and lack of resources available to local officials, the military needed to play a larger role. | Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, said that given the damage and lack of resources available to local officials, the military needed to play a larger role. |
| Mr. Blumenthal was one of several Democratic lawmakers who met on Monday with FEMA and other government officials. | Mr. Blumenthal was one of several Democratic lawmakers who met on Monday with FEMA and other government officials. |
| “We need the military to play a major role, providing trucks, helicopters, and other needs,” he said. “It has to play a major role because the situation is different with Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands; they don’t have the resources. So the military will have to do more than it normally would on the mainland because of the unprecedented devastation on the islands.” | “We need the military to play a major role, providing trucks, helicopters, and other needs,” he said. “It has to play a major role because the situation is different with Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands; they don’t have the resources. So the military will have to do more than it normally would on the mainland because of the unprecedented devastation on the islands.” |
| The Defense Department has sent thousands of troops to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico but the three-star general leading the military’s recovery efforts on the island said more needed to be done. “It’s not enough, and we’re bringing more in,” said Lt. Gen. Jeff Buchanan, shortly after arriving on the island last week. | The Defense Department has sent thousands of troops to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico but the three-star general leading the military’s recovery efforts on the island said more needed to be done. “It’s not enough, and we’re bringing more in,” said Lt. Gen. Jeff Buchanan, shortly after arriving on the island last week. |