Stay tuned in to our local news coverage: Listen to 90.7 WMFE on your FM or HD radio, the WMFE mobile app or your smart speaker — say “Alexa, play NPR” and you’ll be connected.

Scenes of destruction in Puerto Rico as Category 4 hurricane Maria hit the island.

Hurricane Irma already dealt a blow to Puerto Rico’s electric grid. Now the island is completely without power.

Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico as a category 4 storm, knocking out power, ripping off roofs and flooding streets.

Wilton Vargas heard the rooftop gazebo go flying from his San Juan apartment just before midnight.

“The roof of that gazebo is lying actually right now in the parking lot,” said Vargas.

“I see downed trees all around me. I see trees that fell on automobiles. There are flooded streets. I see- and I’m not kidding- I see a refrigerator and a sofa on the street that came from who knows where.” 

Vargas said many people in his neighborhood still hadn’t got their power back since Hurricane Irma.

“And now, who knows? We have no idea how long it’s going to take for the electric power authority to restore electricity on the island.”

Vargas said he was able to keep in touch with family and friends throughout the storm using social media and limited cell service.

“So we can use our cellphones and connect and just share our status and what’s happening and all that. Fortunately I have heard from everybody in my family and everybody seems to be ok so I am thankful for that,” he said.