Students at a school in Puerto Rico erupted into cheers when power returned after 112 days since Hurricane Maria left the island in the dark – and the touching moment was caught on video.
The students and teachers at Academia Bautista de Puerto Nuevo in San Juan were elated to have the lights back on after being forced to teach and learn for close to four months without power.
The video, which was posted to the school’s Facebook page, was captioned: ‘After 112 days, THE LIGHT IS BACK! We are grateful to all the parents, students and staff who have stayed with us and continued to support us in this situation.’
Still, about 40 per cent of the island remains in the dark, with most of the island projected to have power restored by March.
Students jump for sheer joy when the power is restored to their school, Academia Bautista de Puerto Nuevo in San Juan, after learning without power for over three months
Teachers shared in the excitement as the lights finally returned at their beloved school
Just this week power crews across the United States traveled to the island to assist in the ongoing restoration.
The Army Corps of Engineers believes power will be restored for most Puerto Ricans by next month.
Meanwhile in Florida, Leslie Campbell, director of special programs for the Osceola County School District, is helping to enroll students fleeing the storm-ravaged US territory.
Her job has been a busy one. Since hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the Caribbean in September, over 2,400 new students have arrived in the district. That is enough to fill more than two typical-sized elementary schools. Dozens more youngsters show up weekly.
‘We´re just inundated, from the minute we come in, to the minute we leave,’ said Campbell, who helps families obtain transportation, meals and clothing.
Across the country, state and local officials are scrambling to manage an influx of Puerto Ricans, a migration that is impacting education budgets, housing, demographics and voter rolls in communities where these newcomers are landing.
The school was happy to report the fantastic news that everyone can begin to enjoy a proper education again at the Academia Bautista de Puerto Nuevo
Academia Bautista de Puerto Nuevo in San Juan is one of many schools in the US territory who has been educating students in the dark for well over three months
Florida, already home to more than 1 million Puerto Ricans, is on the front lines.
About 300,000 island residents have arrived in the state since early October, according to Florida’s Division of Emergency Management.
Some Puerto Rican arrivals have passed through Florida on their way to New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and other states. Some may eventually return home. But many will not.
The island is still reeling months after Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 storm, wreaked catastrophic damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure, and with the nearly 40 per cent of residents still without electricity, the economy has been devastated.
For Florida, the inflow of Puerto Ricans is altering public budgets and perhaps the political calculus in a state that President Donald Trump won by a slim margin in 2016.
Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. citizens, are on pace to overtake Cuban-Americans within a few years as the state’s largest Latino voting bloc.
Many criticized the Trump administration’s hurricane response as inadequate.