Climate crisis

Puerto Rico: 8 images reveal devastation left by Hurricane Fiona

by Jennifer Walter
Lauren Dauphin/NASA Earth Observatory

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On September 18, Hurricane Fiona slammed into Puerto Rico.

Though Fiona’s intensity didn’t surpass category 1, its slow-moving rains still packed a punch.

The entire island was without power on September 18, and residents are still dealing with historic floods and a lack of running water days later.

-/AFP/Getty Images

ERIKA SANTELICES/AFP/Getty Images

Puerto Rico’s infrastructure was seriously damaged by Hurricane Maria five years ago, a disaster that the island still hasn’t recovered from.

And due to the climate crisis, studies predict that Puerto Rico is more likely to experience extreme rainfall in the coming decades.

-/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. Coast Guard District 7

Powerful aerial and satellite images captured by NOAA, NASA, and the US Coast Guard showcase the severity of Hurricane Fiona and its disastrous aftermath.

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Here are 8 views of Hurricane Fiona’s damage:

NASA Worldview

8. Hurricane Fiona crawls across the Caribbean Sea from September 15 to 20.

Red indicates the highest levels of rainfall, while green is the lowest.

7. The U.S. Coast Guard set out to survey the damage after the storm on September 19.

U.S. Coast Guard District 7

U.S. Coast Guard District 7

6. Via helicopter, the Coast Guard captured this view of a car surrounded by floodwaters a day after the hurricane made landfall.

5. Puerto Rico was almost directly within Hurricane Fiona’s path, as shown by this NASA image.

Lauren Dauphin/NASA Earth Observatory

U.S. Coast Guard District 7

4. Houses and buildings near the coastline were surrounded by brown floodwaters on September 19.

3. An airport tarmac appears partially submerged in this helicopter shot from the Coast Guard.

U.S. Coast Guard District 7

U.S. Coast Guard District 7

2. And here, boats parked at a marina are scattered and sunken underwater.

1. On September 21, the hurricane picked up speed as it made its way toward the mainland U.S. coastline, where it is expected to pass by and eventually hit northern Canada.

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