(WFLA) – Jenrique Pacheco is one of the few people in his small town outside of San Juan, Puerto Rico with an internet and cell phone connection.
Early Thursday, he posted a video showing the destruction in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico.
Pacheco says he wants to let as many people as possible know about the destruction there.
He also wants people outside of Puerto Rico to know that people in his town are okay.
“There is a lot of homes, several damaged, but there is nobody hurt, thank God,” said Pacheco.
A bridge in the town was nearly wiped out by floodwater during the hurricane.
“Now the people that live in the neighbor[hood] have no way to pass to the other place in town,” he said.
While Pacheco has cell phone service, a number of Tampa Bay area residents are anxious to talk to their loved ones in Puerto Rico, as communication to much of the island is virtually impossible.
“I’ve tried to contact them, you know my friends and my relatives in Puerto Rico, last night, all night and this morning, all morning and I have not had any contact what so ever,” said Nyrva Zapata.
She is from Puerto Rico and now lives in Town N’ Country, but is worried about her family.
“They’re hurting very bad,” said Zapata.
Some in the Tampa Bay area are now working on putting together a relief effort for Puerto Rico.
Chris Alexander is with the “Without Walls International Church” in Tampa.
Many in the congregation at the church are from Puerto Rico.
Chris Alexander with the church is among those with family on the Island.
“I’ve heard from my family that early projections are that power won’t even be restored ’til early next year. I mean, us as Floridians, we were without power for one week and we were going crazy and that’s one of the main reasons we are doing anything and everything we can to provide some relief,” said Alexander.
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