ARECIBO, Puerto Rico — People in this ravaged city get their drinking water from a hole poked into a fire hose attached to a street hydrant.
"Unfortunately, we’re right in its path," said Kevin Azzaro, an assistant to Mayor Carlos Molina here.
Azzaro said he didn’t know how the city could prepare for more floods, other than asking residents to stay in their homes as much as possible.
Residents here were desperate for news from the dam.
"All of Puerto Rico is like this.
Like in dozens of other destroyed towns across the island, people here say their main needs are water, fuel, power — and news from the outside world.
No visible mass destruction or casualties, he said.
In Arecibo, residents cleaned out mud from flooded homes and wondered how long it will take to get power back.
Azzaro, the mayor’s assistant, said residents were rescued from homes amid the devastating floods.